Effect of patient participation on nurse and patient outcomes in inpatient healthcare

Using service-dominant logic as a theoretical lens, this study investigated the co-production of healthcare service and service value co-creation between nurses and patients. The main objective of this study was to: (1) examine the effect of patient participation on patient satisfaction and nurses’ attitudes and behaviors; (2) examine boundary conditions of the effect of patient participation on patients and nurses. We proposed that patient participation positively impacted patient satisfaction and nurse job satisfaction, work engagement, and helping behaviors. We further proposed that first inpatient stay and length of stay moderated the effect of patient participation on patient satisfaction, and nurses’ sociodemographic characteristics moderated the effect of patient participation on nurse job satisfaction, work engagement, and helping behaviors. Using survey data from 282 nurses and 522 inpatients from a public hospital in China, we found that the effect of patient participation on patient satisfaction was contingent upon first inpatient stay and length of stay. We also found that patient participation improved nurse job satisfaction, work engagement, and helping behaviors. Furthermore, nurses’ sociodemographic characteristics, namely age and organizational tenure, moderated the effect of patient participation on nurse job satisfaction, but not on work engagement and helping behaviors. Theoretical and practical implications of our findings were discussed.