Nurses’ Knowledge of Patients’ Rights in King Salman Armed Forces Hospital, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Background: Nurses play a vital role in healthcare, serving as the primary point of contact for patients and their families. It is crucial that nurses are well-versed in patients’ rights and responsibilities. However, studies have highlighted nurses’ lack of awareness of patient rights, which can impede their ability to recognize and address legal and ethical issues that arise. Objective: Determine the knowledge of patient rights among nurses working at King Salman Armed Forces Hospital, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the nursing department of the main military hospitals (King Salman and King Khalid Hospitals) in Tabuk City, Saudi Arabia. The study population consisted of male and female nursing staff working in various departments of King Salman Armed Forces Hospital. A sample of 616 nurses was selected randomly. The data collection period was from February 2017 to March 2018. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire, developed based on previously published studies and the Patient Rights Bill implemented in the Saudi Arabian healthcare system. To facilitate responses, the questionnaire was translated into Arabic with the assistance of an Arabic language expert and validated through pilot testing to address any language deficiencies. Data entry and analysis were conducted using SPSS version 25. Results: In this study, over 80% of participants reported positive feedback regarding patients’ rights, indicating that the majority were well aware of them. The results showed that age, gender, nationality, education, experience, and working in the private sector were significantly associated with patients’ rights among nursing staff at King Salman Armed Forces. Only a few factors showed no significant association with patients’ rights. Conclusion: The study concludes that there is a strong overall understanding of patients’ rights among Tabuk Hospital nurses, as demonstrated by the majority of participant responses. This implies that nurses have a strong basic understanding of patients’ rights, which is essential for maximizing healthcare provision. However, more work is required to close knowledge gaps in particular areas despite this positive outcome.