Barriers and facilitators to patient education from nursing perspectives in West bank hospitals: a Cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Patient education is fundamental to patient-centered care but faces significant implementation challenges. Nurses, ideally positioned to lead education, encounter barriers like time constraints, inadequate environments, and discontinuity across shifts, leading to inconsistent delivery. Understanding these barriers and facilitators from nurses’ perspectives is crucial for improving practice, especially in resource-constrained settings like Palestine. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted with 150 nurses (mean age 32.1 ± 11.4 years; 58% female; 62% governmental hospitals; 58.7% open units) across diverse Palestinian hospitals. A validated 20-item questionnaire (Cronbach’s α = 0.89 overall) assessed 10 barriers and 10 facilitators using a 5-point Likert scale. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis H), and ordinal logistic regression via SPSS v25. Results Top barriers were time limitations (37.3%; mean = 3.52 ± 1.06), unsuitable environment (33.3%; 3.46 ± 1.16), and discontinuity across shifts (32.0%). Key facilitators included prioritizing education evaluation (48.0% agreed; 3.63 ± 1.10), using educational technology (44.0% agreed; 3.67 ± 1.07), and dedicated nurse-educators (46.0% agreed). Significant predictors of higher barriers were older age (p