Promoting patient rights in nursing care in Ghana through the Caring Space Model.

Abstract

Objectives: To explore patient rights outcomes in nurse-patient clinical interactions in the Yendi Hospital and promote patients' rights in Ghana using a proposed Caring Space Model.

Design: An ethnographic research design was implemented, and purposive sampling was used to recruit participants. Data were gathered across nine inpatient units through in-depth individual interviews (n = 39), ethnographic participant observations (over 400 hours), and a focus group discussion from December 2021 to April 2022. A reflexive thematic analysis was conducted to explore participants' knowledge, experiences, and barriers to upholding patient rights in clinical interactions.

Setting: The study was conducted in the Yendi Municipal Hospital.

Participants: Included Nurses (n=11), patients (n=21), and caregivers (n=11) who were 18 years of age or older and provided voluntary consent. Additionally, nurses must have at least three years of experience in a hospital setting.

Results: The study found that most patients and caregivers are unaware of the Ghanaian Patients' Charter. Nurses who were familiar with the Charter failed to educate patients and caregivers because they feared that doing so would cause undue stress. Poor patient rights outcomes were rooted in human and material resource constraints, affecting nurse-patient and nurse-nurse manager relationships. Patient rights education, transformative nursing leadership practices, and effective communication during clinical interactions can enhance patient rights and safety.

Conclusion: To promote patient-centred care, a model of the Caring Space has been developed to advance ethical nursing and caring practices that elevate patient rights in patient-provider clinical interactions.

Funding: No funding.