Introduction. Patient rights constitute an essential component for determining the status patients have when they undergo various kinds of treatment. The Act on Patients’ Rights and the Commissioner for Patients’ Rights are particularly important in this regard. The knowledge of the rights medical staff possesses and their observance condition the quality of health care and a positive image of a particular medical centre or facility. Aim. The aim of this study was to evaluate nurses’ knowledge concerning rights of patients. Material and methods. Nurses working in two different hospitals in Lesser Poland Voivodeship and Subcarpathian Voivodeship took part in the survey. It was carried out using a diagnostic poll method and a questionnaire. The results were categorised and analysed statistically. Results. Almost half of the respondents possess satisfactory knowledge of patients’ rights. The right to make abstracts from the documentation, its duplicates and copies and the right to access medical records are the least known rights. According to the respondents, both doctors and nurses are equally obliged to inform patients about their rights. Quite a few of them are not aware of the fact that in order to perform endoscopic diagnosis there needs to be a separate consent given by a patient. The Act on the Professions of Nurse and Midwife is the most frequently mentioned when it comes to acts concerning patients’ rights. Conclusions. Nurses’ knowledge of patients rights is satisfactory. They are aware of most of the rights and can name the majority of procedures that require obtaining patient’s consent.

Key words: patient, patients’ rights, nurse.