The mediating role of nursing presence in the relationship between trust in nurses and satisfaction with nursing care in oncology patients

INTRODUCTION: Oncology patients receiving inpatient treatment often experience complex physical and psychological needs that require continuous monitoring, symptom management, and emotional support. Because nurses spend the most time with patients during hospitalization, their presence in patient care-conceptualized as nursing presence, which refers to the nurse's attentive, supportive, and therapeutic engagement with patients-becomes a fundamental component of the patient care experience. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to explore the mediating role of nursing presence in the relationship between oncology patients' trust in nurses and their satisfaction with nursing care. METHODS: A descriptive-correlational design was employed, involving 255 oncology patients admitted to the inpatient oncology clinics of a university hospital. Data were collected between January and April 2024. RESULTS: The analyses revealed that participants reported relatively high scores across all measures: the Presence of Nursing Scale (98.61 ± 17.04), the Satisfaction with Nursing Scale (80.89 ± 15.26), and the Trust in Nurses Scale (25.23 ± 4.60). Nursing presence showed a strong positive correlation with both satisfaction with nursing care (r = 0.74, p < 0.001) and trust in nurses (r = 0.65, p < 0.001). Similarly, satisfaction with nursing care was positively associated with trust in nurses (r = 0.71, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis suggested that nursing presence partially mediated the relationship between satisfaction with nursing care and trust in nurses (indirect effect = 0.06, 95% CI [0.031, 0.087]). CONCLUSION: When oncology patients perceive a strong nursing presence, both their satisfaction with nursing care and their trust in nurses tend to increase. The findings further indicate that nursing presence partially mediates the relationship between nursing care satisfaction and trust in nurses. Therefore, greater nursing presence not only improves patients' satisfaction with the care they receive but also strengthens the trust they place in nurses. However, although the data are valuable, the two-year interval should be considered when interpreting the findings. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Healthcare managers should prioritize nursing presence to achieve higher levels of patient satisfaction and greater trust in nurses. It is also important to identify and address the personal and organizational factors from both patient and nurse perspectives to effectively strengthen and maintain nursing presence.