Patients' Expectations and Satisfaction Regarding to the Protection of Their Individual Dignity After Surgery: A Cross-Sectional Study

This study aimed to determine patients' expectations and satisfaction regarding protecting their dignity after surgery. This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted with 385 patients between December 2024 and February 2025. Research data was collected using the Inpatient Dignity Scale and socio-demographic information form. It was determined that the patient's dignity scale expectation and satisfaction total scores were 72.85 +/- 4.509 and 85.03 +/- 8.011. Accordingly, the expectation scores of the young, those with higher education levels, those whose income is lower than their expenses, those who have had surgery before, those who can perform activities of daily living those who can do it with assistance, those who can connect the head and neck are significantly stronger (p < 0.05). The satisfaction scores of the married, those with the highest and lowest education levels, those whose income is lower than their expenses, those who have had a longer hospital stay after surgery, and those who have had head and neck surgery are higher (p < 0.05). New studies should be conducted in surgical units where nursing activities to protect patient dignity are planned, and their results are evaluated.