Association Between Family Importance in Nursing Care and Parental Satisfaction: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Background: Family involvement is increasingly recognized as vital in delivering holistic and patient-centered nursing care. However, the extent to which nurses perceive the importance and impact of families on parental satisfaction (PS) is poorly understood. Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between the perceived importance of family in nursing care, PS, and associated sociodemographic and occupational factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study design was employed between August 2023 and January 2025 at BouAli Hospital in Ardabil city, involving 200 nurses and 160 parents of hospitalized children. The participants were selected through a census and stratified random sampling, respectively. Data were collected using two valid questionnaires: Families’ Importance in Nursing Care-Nurses’ Attitudes (FINC-NA) and Parental Satisfaction and Its Associated Factors (EMPATHIC-N). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24, employing descriptive and inferential statistics (correlation and linear regression), with a significance level of P < 0.05. Results: Among the participants, 180 (90%) of nurses and 152 (95%) of parents reported their participation rate as average. The Pearson correlation test revealed a strong and statistically significant relationship between the subcomponents of FINC-NA and EMPATHIC-N (r = 0.509, P < 0.001). The results of the linear regression test showed that the predictor variables [(family as a resource (Fam-OR), family as a conversational partner (Fam-CP), family as a resource in nursing care (Fam-RNC), family as a burden (Fam-B)] accounted for 27.4% of the variance in PS. Conclusions: The findings demonstrate a strong and significant correlation between the importance of families in nursing care and PS. Most nurses and parents reported average participation rates. The regression analysis results suggest that promoting family involvement in nursing care can lead to enhanced PS.