Factors Influencing Patients’ Willingness to Participate in their Nursing Care: A Study at the Nsawam Government Hospital

Abstract

Background: Patients' participation in their care is an important component in the delivery of quality health care. Patients‘ willingness to participate in their care is assumed to be influenced by attitude, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control. However, there is a paucity of evidences on the relation between patients‘ participation and their behavioural intentions. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing patients‘ willingness to participate in their nursing care. Method: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted. Theory of planned behaviour questionnaire was administered to 380 respondents who were conveniently sampled from the Nsawam government hospital, Ghana. Descriptive, correlation and regression analysis were run to categorise and compare data. Results: Majority of respondents (n = 359, 94.5%) participated in their nursing care. Attitude (M = 39.98, SD = 4.38), subjective norms (M = 22.62, SD = 3.28), Perceived Behavioural Control (M = 132.4, SD = 38.11) and Behavioural Intentions (M = 18.07, SD = 2.69) influenced Patients‘ willingness to participate in nursing care. Significant positive relationship was observed between Attitude, Subjective Norms, Perceived Behavioural Control and Behavioural Intentions (P<.001). There was also significant positive correlation between Behavioural Intention and actual participation (< .05) and between indirect attitude and actual participation (< .05). 26.240, P<.005). Indirect attitude, religion, sex, direct subjective norms and direct attitude predicted patients‘ participation in nursing care. Conclusion: Patients are willing to participate in their nursing care therefore nurses ought to include patients in their care. Participation in care is influenced by attitudes, societal expectations, values and norms and these must be recognised and integrated in the care of patient.