Nurse managers' and nurses' views on supervision of patient care and the development of a nursing care evaluation form

This doctoral thesis was conducted with a qualitative design to determine the views of nurse managers and nurses regarding the supervision of patient care and to develop a Nursing Care Evaluation Form. The study was completed with 39 nurse managers and nurses working in private hospitals and Ministry of Health hospitals who agreed to participate in the study. Qualitative data were collected through individual in-depth interviews using a "Semi-Structured Interview Form" consisting of 8 questions. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA 2022 software, and content analysis was performed. Based on the qualitative interviews, a "Nursing Care Evaluation Form" was developed to monitor patient care by first-line nurse managers. The participants' opinions on patient care supervision were analyzed under six themes: the aspects nurse managers pay attention to during patient rounds, the expectations of the manager regarding patient care, the methods used in the supervision of patient care, the problems encountered in the supervision of patient care, suggestions for ensuring effective supervision of patient care, and the results of effective patient care supervision. It was determined that nurse managers pay attention to the patient's physical care and appearance, the general order of the patient's room, the communication style with the patient and their relatives, and patient safety practices during patient rounds. The expectations of the nurse managers regarding patient care were grouped under six sub-themes: providing nursing care, conducting diagnosis and treatment procedures, ensuring patient safety, communication with the patient and their relatives, educating the patient and their relatives, and completing records and documentation. It was found that when supervising patient care, nurse managers mostly use observation, interviews, and review patient records. The problems encountered in the supervision of patient care were identified as heavy workload, lack of materials/equipment and human resources, communication problems, and lack of professional awareness. To ensure effective supervision of patient care, the need to address the shortage of human resources was emphasized. It was noted that while the responsible nurses play an essential role in monitoring care, they do not have enough time to devote to supervision due to taking on tasks outside their role, and improvements in this regard are necessary. It was stated that when patient care is effectively supervised, there will be positive outcomes from a professional, patient, and institutional perspective. As a result of the study, it was concluded that nurse managers, particularly first-line nurse managers, should develop awareness for systematically supervising care and should use a comprehensive evaluation form that covers all aspects of care. Keywords: Nursing, patient care, care supervision, form development, nursing management