OBJECTIVE:

The purpose of this descriptive study is to evaluate patients who had undergone cardiovascular surgery “the attitude of using patients’ rights”.

MATERİAL AND MET HODS:

The data of the research were collected by face to face interviews from 100 patients who were treated in Cardiovascular Surgery Clinic after operation from the date of March 15 to September 15 2013. Data collection forms are included a form with questions about socio-demographic characteristics and a form with using the patients’ rights attitude scale. The sample selection has not been made in this research. The patients who had undergone cardiovascular surgery, inpatient treatment, over 18, who can read and write and also who accepted to participate were included in the research.

RESULTS:

As a result of the study, using the patients’ rights attitude scale average score was found to be 86,61±47,83. Significant and weak correlations in negative way were found between patients age and scale scores(r=-2,44 p=0.014). It is concluded that increasing the patients level of education, living in the city, reading a document on the rights of patients and giving information about patients’ rights have a positive impact on the attitudes of using patients’ rights. It was found effective using the scale about measuring the using patients’ rights attitudes on patients who had undergone cardiovascular surgery (Cronbach α=0.992).

CONCLUSION:

Patients using the rights attitude scores were found middle. It is thought that doing effective intervention and increasing the patients’ level of knowledge, attitudes of patients’ using their rights might be improved.

Keywords: patients's rights,the attitudes to use patients’ rights, cardiovascular surgery,nursing