The Relationship Between Patients' Perceived Quality of Nursing Students' Caring Behaviors and Patient Satisfaction in Iran: A Cross‐Sectional Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background and Aim Nursing students' ability to deliver high‐quality care, influenced by supervised clinical training and patient satisfaction, is a key indicator of care quality. This study investigated the relationship between patients' perceptions of nursing students' care behaviors during internships and patient satisfaction. Methods This cross‑sectional analytical study was conducted at the Amiralmomenin Hospital of Zabol in 2024. Data were collected by a three‐part questionnaire covering demographic information, the Patient Satisfaction with Nursing Care Quality Questionnaire (PSNCQQ), and the Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI). The analysis was conducted using SPSS 19, independent‐samples t‐tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation coefficients at a significance level of < 0.05. Results The mean age of the patients was 38.54 ± 15.55 years. Based on the results, 51.3% of the patients had desirable satisfaction with the services provided, 1.3% had undesirable satisfaction, and 47.5% had relatively desirable satisfaction. A strong linear positive significant correlation was observed between patients' satisfaction and respecting others (r = 0.866, p < 0.0001), ensuring human presence (r = 0.926, p < 0.0001), having communication and positive orientation (r = 0.917, p < 0.0001), having knowledge and professional skill (r = 0.768, p < 0.0001), paying attention to the experiences of others (r = 0.795, p < 0.0001), and nursing caring behavior quality (r = 0.866, p < 0.0001). Conclusion The results showed a significant positive association between patients' perceptions of nursing students' caring behaviors and their satisfaction with care. Strengthening caring behaviors and communication skills during undergraduate nursing education may improve patients' care experiences and satisfaction.