Perception of patients regarding respecting to their autonomy during nursing care in hospitals affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Sciences

Respecting to individuals’ autonomy is a basic need of patients which nurses have an important role in fulfilling it. The study aimed at assessing the patients’ perception of getting their autonomy respected during nursing care. Census sampling was used to select 187 patients who were admitted to one of the three hospitals affiliated to Tabriz University of Medical Science. Data was gathered using a questionnaire measuring patients’ perceptions of getting their autonomy respected, in two subscales: getting information and participation in decision making. Data was analysis with Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test and Spearman correlation coefficient. Most of patients believed that nurses’ respect to their autonomy through giving information and participation in decision making aspects was low. Furthermore, results showed there was correlation between patients’ perception of their health, their needs for nursing care and their age with their perception of getting respect to their autonomy during nursing care. Patients revealed that their autonomy during nursing care is not respected. Their perception was positively improved by their increased need to nursing care. Educating the nursing staff on importance of autonomy in nursing care is recommended.