Protection of nurses rights in Turkey: A study on nurses' opinions

Objective: to evaluate nurses' opinions on the violation and protection of their rights at public hospitals. methods: the descriptive study was conducted between may and november 2013 at 11 hospitals affiliated with the association of public hospitals in istanbul,turkey. data was gathered using a questionnaire consisting of 59 questions on demographic characteristics,professions,and rights of nurses. results: of the 1,808 respondents,1,374(76%) said nurse's rights were not protected and 994(55%) believed that their rights were not protected at public hospitals. however,1,027(56.8%) of the nurses stated that their right to job security was protected,while 1,448(80.1%) reported violation of their right to adequate pay and 1,289(71.3%) reported violation or non-recognition of the right to participate in the political decision-making processes that directly affect the nursing profession. those who were middle-aged and those who had bachelor's degree believed their rights were not protected,and considered nursing as a weak profession that was unable to protect its rights (p<0.001). conclusion: nurses believed their rights,especially those about salary,were not sufficiently protected. © 2016,pakistan medical association. all rights reserved.