Accreditation in one teaching hospital: a phenomenology study among Iranian nurses

Author(s):

Mohammad Saadati(Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran), Bahadori MK, Teymourzadeh E, Ravangard R, Alimohammadzadeh KH, Hosseini SM

Abstract:

Purpose

Accreditation helps to ensure safe and high-quality services in hospitals. Different occupational groups have various hospital accreditation experiences. The purpose of this paper is to investigate nurses’ accreditation experience and its effects on Iranian teaching hospital service quality.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a qualitative study involving a phenomenological approach to studying nurses’ hospital accreditation experience and understanding the effects on Iranian teaching hospital service quality. Data were collected using two focus groups in which nurses were selected using purposive sampling. Transcripts were analyzed using content analysis.

Findings

Nurses’ experiences showed that hospital administrators and nurses had greater role in implementing accreditation than other occupational groups. Accreditation improved patient-centeredness, patient safety, logistics and managerial processes and decision making. However, a weak incentive system, extra documentation and work stress were negative experiences.

Practical implications

Nurse experience, as the most important care team member, reveals accreditation’s strengths and weaknesses and its effects on service quality.

Originality/value

The author used a phenomenology approach to measure accreditation effects on service quality – a valuable tool for understanding a phenomenon among those that experience hospital accreditation processes.

Keywords:

Iran, Quality healthcare, Hospital, Accreditation

Type:

Research paper

Publisher:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Received:

۲۴ June 2017

Revised:

۱۴ August 2017

Accepted:

۱۶ December 2017

Acknowledgments:

The researchers thank all study participants for their help during data collection and analysis.

Copyright:© Emerald Publishing Limited 2018
Published by Emerald Publishing Limited
Licensed re-use rights only

Citation:

Mohammad Saadati, Mohammadkarim Bahadori, Ehsan Teymourzadeh, Ramin Ravangard, Khalil Alimohammadzadeh, Seyed Mojtaba Hosseini, (2018) “Accreditation in one teaching hospital: a phenomenology study among Iranian nurses”, International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 31 Issue: 7, pp.855-863, https://doi.org/10.1108/IJHCQA-08-2017-0150

– Saadati M, Bahadori MK, Teymourzadeh E, Ravangard R, Alimohammadzadeh KH, Hosseini SM. Accreditation in one teaching hospital: a phenomenology study among Iranian nurses. International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance 2018; 31(7): 855 – 863