The relationship between nurses' caring behaviors with comfort and fear of hospitalization of hospitalized elderly patients.

INTRODUCTION: Understanding the perspectives of elderly patients regarding their care and outcomes is crucial, especially considering the unique role nurses play in delivering high-quality care. This study was conducted to assess the relationship between nurses' caring behaviors with comfort and fear of hospitalization in elderly patients. METHODS: This research utilized a descriptive correlational cross-sectional design and involved a sample of 197 elderly patients who were hospitalized in the medical and surgical inpatient departments of four universal hospitals in Iran. Participants were selected through stratified proportional random sampling. Data collection occurred between September and November 2024 using a Demographic Information Questionnaire, the Caring Behaviors Inventory-16 (CBI-16), and the Fear of Hospitalization Scale. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. RESULTS: There was a correlation between the caring behaviors of nurses and the general comfort of elderly patients (r = 0.302, p < 0.001), as well as with their fear of hospitalization (r=-0.412, p < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant correlation was observed between general comfort and the fear of hospitalization (r=-0.404, p < 0.001). The findings from the regression analysis indicated that nurses' caring behaviors accounted for 9.1% of the variance in patients' comfort levels (β = 0.302, p < 0.001). Additionally, both caring behaviors (β=-0.319, p < 0.001) and general comfort (β=-0.307, p < 0.001) were found to negatively predict the fear of hospitalization (R2 = 0.256). CONCLUSION: This study emphasized the vital role of nursing care in promoting comfort and alleviating the fear of hospitalization in elderly patients. It is essential to enhance nurses' caring behaviors, which should be a focus for hospital administrators and nursing managers in daily practice. Implementing structured training programs for nurses to enhance caring behaviors, as well as integrating elderly patients' perspectives on fear and comfort into hospital quality metrics, is recommended.