This study set out to identify the most important needs of hospital pa
tients on surgical and medical wards and to assess the ability of nurs
es to identify these needs. The population consisted of 92 Finnish pat
ients and 69 Finnish nurses. The study was carried out using a questio
nnaire designed on the basis of the need theory presented by Yura and
Walsh. The results of the statistical analyses were presented in the f
orm of frequencies, cross-tabulations and chi-square tests. The patien
ts' most common needs were related to vital functions (44%), followed
by those related to functional health status (38%) and environmental n
eeds (36%). The last item on the list of expressed needs concerned rea
ctions to functional health status (31%). Over 70% of the surgical pat
ients suffered from problems related to sleep and rest. Less than 60%
of them suffered from acute pain. Medical patients, in turn, had more
frequent needs related to vital functions than did surgical patients.
Three out of four medical patients suffered from acute pain. Sleep and
rest disturbances, stress, bad mood and listlessness were also common
problems. The nurses underestimated all patient needs, apart from env
ironmental needs, which they regarded as the main concern of patients.
There was a statistically significant difference between patients' an
d nurses' assessments for 38% of all needs. Moreover, there were diffe
rences in assessments between the surgical and medical wards included
in the study.