Abstract
Introduction
Patients’ rights, such as access to accurate health information, selection of care, participation in decision-making about healthcare services and conditions, human dignity and care, confidentiality, privacy, and compensation, have been recognised as social rights that determine quality and access to healthcare, including the right to healthcare. In Cambodia, patients’ rights guidelines were officially released in 2007. However, there is not enough information on clients’ rights among nurses. This study aims to assess knowledge of clients’ rights among nurses in the ICU at National Pediatric Hospital in 2024.
Methods
A cross-sectional survey was designed to collect data from all 39 nurses who provided direct care to patients in the ICU. A face‒to-face interview was conducted with a structured questionnaire developed on the basis of the Ministry of Health's Operational Guidelines (2007), which included equality, access to information, decision-making regarding treatment, confidentiality, privacy, informed consent, and participation in care.
Results
Overall, the mean age of the participants was 28.5 years (SD=4.4). Most participants were female (76.9%) and non-married (66.7%). More than half of them (51.3%) had an associate degree in nursing. The study reported that 61.2% of nurses knew patients' rights. The level of awareness related to the rights to access information and health education (59.0%), rights to healthcare and treatment (56.1%), rights to patients’ privacy (61.5%), rights to choose and informed consent (56.4%), rights to equality, and freedom from all forms of discrimination (20.2%), rights to confidentiality (10.3%), and rights to express an opinion and to participate (0.0%).
Conclusion
Knowledge of clients’ rights among nurses in the ICU department was not high; therefore, prioritizing patients’ rights education and the application of these rights among healthcare providers, especially nurses, should be one of the primary concerns in the hospital.