| Summary: | The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of registered
nurses about patient-friendly health services rendered within an ambulatory care setting
in the King Abdulaziz Medical City, Riyadh (KAMC-R), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. A
qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used. Fifteen registered
nurses (one male and 14 female) voluntarily participated in this study. The data
collection process comprised of semi-structured individual interviews with the
participants to explore what they perceived to be patient-friendly health services. The
obtained data were analysed using Van Mannen’s thematic analysis method. The
emerging empirical data identified four themes, three categories and nine subcategories;
a literature control was incorporated to validate the findings. The study
findings revealed that the participants identified cultural differences as a quintessential
obstacle in rendering patient-friendly health services in the study context. Professional
yet patient-friendly communication proved to be a challenge as did ambulatory care
flow. This had the potential to compromise patient-friendly health services. Meeting the
patients’ needs was acknowledged. However, the needs, goals and values of patientfriendly
healthcare services were perceived differently by the patients on the one hand
and the registered nurses on the other and this affected the process of interaction and
delivery of patient-friendly care. Despite the fact that the registered nurses daily
experienced ongoing challenges which compromised patient-friendly health services,
they were aware and committed to deliver patient-friendly health services. The process
of scientific inquiry concluded with the limitations of the study and recommendations
were made based on the findings. === Health Studies === M.A. (Heath Studies)
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