Determining Nurses’ Satisfaction with Pharmacy Services: A Demonstration and Suggested Methodology

Abstract

Objectives: The level of nurses’ satisfaction relative to pharmacy services provided at a rural medical center was evaluated and compared to data collected in a previous study at the same institution. Information obtained was utilized to determine potential areas for pharmacy service improvements. Methods: This project employed a survey research design in order to acquire demographic and descriptive data. The instrument contained 43 items including 34 scaled, 7 demographic, and 2 open-ended items. Aspects assessed by this instrument included accessibility of pharmacists, accuracy of medication delivery, quality of drug information services, and perceptions of pharmacists’ value by nursing staff. All inpatient nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses, and registered nurses who were employed at the medical center in the winter of 2004 were eligible to participate in this study. Results: A total of 199 surveys were returned for a response rate of 43.9%. The overall level of nurses’ satisfaction with pharmacy services at the medical center had not significantly changed between the years of 2000 and 2004; however, several specific areas of pharmaceutical services changed over time. The level of nurses’ satisfaction with pharmacy services was increased in relation to the communication between pharmacists and nurses and decreased in relation to technology associated pharmacy services. Implications: The data obtained using the instrument was evaluated in order to make recommendations to the medical center Department of Pharmacy. An instrument was developed and validated to discern nurses’ level of satisfaction with pharmacy services. This methodology may be used at other institutions.