Nurse–Patient Communication and Its Impact on Patient Satisfaction: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study at a Secondary-Care Public Hospital in Kohat, Pakistan

Abstract

Communication between nurses and patients is one of the most consistently cited determinants of patient satisfaction with nursing care. While international and Pakistani evidence broadly links effective nurse-patient communication to higher satisfaction, site-specific data from secondary-care public-sector hospitals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remain limited. The study aimed to evaluate nurse-patient communication and patient satisfaction among admitted patients at District Headquarter (DHQ) Hospital Kohat. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 adult inpatients recruited by convenience sampling from the Medical, Surgical, Gynecological/Obstetric, Orthopedic, Pediatric, and ICU/CCU departments of DHQ Hospital Kohat. Data were collected using a structured, interviewer-assisted questionnaire comprising demographic items, a 10-item nurse-patient communication scale, and a 10-item patient satisfaction scale, both scored on a 5-point Likert format (composite range 10–50). Data were analyzed in SPSS using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent-samples t-tests, and one-way ANOVA, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. The mean composite communication score was 37.8 (SD 6.2) out of 50, with 55% of patients rating communication as good. The mean composite satisfaction score was 38.9 (SD 6.5) out of 50, with 60% of patients classified as satisfied. Communication was rated weakest for keeping patients informed about their condition and care plan (58% positive) and strongest for maintaining privacy during communication (82% positive); satisfaction followed a parallel pattern, lowest for information given about the medical condition (55% positive) and highest for overall courtesy and respect (80% positive). Communication and satisfaction scores were strongly and positively correlated (r = 0.65, p < 0.001). Patient education level was significantly associated with satisfaction (p = 0.021), and length of hospital stay was significantly associated with communication scores (p = 0.045); age, gender, and ward were not significantly associated with either variable (p > 0.05). In summary, nurse-patient communication and patient satisfaction at DHQ Hospital Kohat were both moderately positive but shared a specific, recurring gap around informing patients about their condition and care plan. Given a strong correlation between communication and satisfaction, targeted communication-skills training focused on patient information-sharing is recommended to improve overall satisfaction with nursing care.