The development of NEdSERV: quantitative instrumentation to measure service quality in nurse education

Factors affecting dental service quality

PURPOSE

Measuring dental clinic service quality is the first and most important factor in improving care. The quality provided plays an important role in patient satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors affecting dental service quality from the patients' viewpoint.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

This cross-sectional, descriptive-analytical study was conducted in a dental clinic in Tehran between January and June 2014. A sample of 385 patients was selected from two work shifts using stratified sampling proportional to size and simple random sampling methods. The data were collected, a self-administered questionnaire designed for the purpose of the study, based on the Parasuraman and Zeithaml's model of service quality which consisted of two parts: the patients' demographic characteristics and a 30-item questionnaire to measure the five dimensions of the service quality. The collected data were analysed using SPSS 21.0 and Amos 18.0 through some descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, as well as analytical methods, including confirmatory factor.

FINDINGS

Results showed that the correlation coefficients for all dimensions were higher than 0.5. In this model, assurance (regression weight=0.99) and tangibility (regression weight=0.86) had, respectively, the highest and lowest effects on dental service quality.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The Parasuraman and Zeithaml's model is suitable to measure quality in dental services. The variables related to dental services quality have been made according to the model.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

This is a pioneering study that uses Parasuraman and Zeithaml's model and CFA in a dental setting. This study provides useful insights and guidance for dental service quality assurance.

Student nurse satisfaction levels with their courses: part I -- effects of demographic variables

Recent years have seen an increased emphasis on the monitoring of the quality of learning and teaching in higher education. This has led to more attention being paid to evaluating student perceptions of their learning experiences. This article (Part I of two on the subject) examines the factors that influence student satisfaction with their modular courses. Seven factors categorized into two sets are scrutinized: Part I investigates the effects of four demographic variables, while Part II explores the effects of three academic (educational)-related variables. In this report, the study research design, tool and sample are described, and an analysis of the demographic variables of gender, disability, ethnicity and age-bracket is undertaken, whereby their effects on performance and satisfaction levels of students are considered. Employing a questionnaire, data from 460 students attending various multidisciplinary health care modules at the School of Health Care, Oxford Brookes University for the first term of the academic year 2000/2001 were analysed. The questionnaire was found to be reliable and there were no differences in satisfaction between students who provided their registration numbers and those who did not, suggesting that the results are generalizable to the greater student population of the School of Health Care. The study found no differences in performance or satisfaction levels according to gender, but disabled students indicated less satisfaction although the differences were not significant. Fewer students of 'non-white' ethnicity felt that their learning experience was intellectually stimulating, and that the information about their modules was satisfactory and readily available. Student age significantly predicted performance and 'mature' students performed better and showed higher satisfaction than 'traditional' students. The findings and their implications for nurse education and curriculum design are discussed, with support from a growing number of studies investigating student nurse satisfaction and quality issues of learning and teaching in higher education.