Limping along in implementing patient-centered care: Qualitative study

Patient-centered care is considered a pivotal element of the mission of the healthcare system around the world. However implementing Patient-centered care is not always easy and nurses have admitted this fact reluctantly. The evidence suggests that the first step in implementing Patient-centered care is to change the professionals’ viewpoint, behavior, and understanding. This study examined nurses' perceptions of the components of Patient-centered care and its delivery.

This was qualitative descriptive research with a conventional content analysis approach. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 21 nurses, working in teaching hospitals in Tabriz, Iran, and 5 field notes were collected. Data were analyzed using the Zhang and Wildemuth method of content analysis.

Three main themes and eleven sub-themes were extracted. Nurses identified “Effective Communication”, “Careful Care of Distinctive Needs”, and “Valuing the Patients and Their Rights” as the main elements of Patient-centered care.

Nurses implement some components of Patient-centered care. Yet Patient-centered care remains an ad hoc practice requiring more improvement. This study provided a deeper understanding of nurses' perceptions about the implementation of Patient-centered care and their weaknesses. The finding is consistent with current knowledge, shedding light on Patient-centered care-related practices performed by Iranian nurses and pointing to areas for improvement in implementing Patient-centered care.