The influence of health literacy competencies on patient-centered care among clinical nurses

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the relationships between health literacy competencies and patient-centered care among clinical nurses. Methods: The participants of this study were 254 nurses working in two hospitals in the D region. The data were collected from July to August 2020. The health literacy competencies for registered nurses scale and individualized care scale were utilized. Descriptive statistics, independent t-test, ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation coefficient and multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. Results: The mean of health literacy competencies was 3.16±0.31 points on a four-point scale, and the average of patient-centered care was 3.69±0.50 points on a five-point scale. Regarding the nurses’ general characteristics, patient-centered care showed significant differences according to age (F=4.68, p=.010), marital status (t=-2.38, p=.018), religion (F=3.03, p=.030), total clinical experience (F=2.94, p=.021) and prior health literacy knowledge (t=3.20, p=.002). As a result of a hierarchical multiple regression analysis, health literacy competencies (β=.63) were found to significantly influence patient-centered care. The explanatory power of the model was 41.0% (F=25.58, p<.001). Conclusion: The study suggests that nurse’s health literacy competencies should be developed in order to improve patient-centered care. Nursing education should include an emphasis on integrating health literacy into the nursing school curriculum.