Nurses at Blue Mountains Hospital at Katoomba have been rated as among the top in the state by their patients.
A survey of 166 adult patients at the hospital found that 88 per cent rated the nurses "very good", well above the state average of 76 per cent.
Most agreed they were kind and caring, were knowledgeable about patient treatment and answered questions in a way the patient could understand.
Acting general manager of the hospital, Karen Arblaster, said the positive feedback reflected their focus on putting the patient first.
"All of our staff work very hard to deliver high quality and compassionate care," she said.
All of our staff work very hard to deliver high quality and compassionate care.
- Karen Arblaster
Doctors did not receive as positive a feedback as nurses, with 68 per cent saying they were very good. Only 57 per cent reported that they were always able to talk to a doctor when they needed to.
The 2018 survey by the Bureau of Health Information showed that Katoomba hospital had improved in a number of key areas since the previous survey.
Patients reported the hospital bathrooms were very clean and they always saw nurses washing their hands or using gels.
They were more confident in the clinicians caring for them and they believed that staff took into account their family situation when they were discharged.
The hospital's focus on how patients receive care after they leave hospital saw more patients (80 per cent) reporting that services were arranged for them before they were discharged.
Overall, 73 per cent of patients rated their hospital care as very good.
The food, however, received a big thumbs-down, with just 17 per cent saying it was "very good". Statewide, only 20 per cent of all patients gave the same rating.
Nepean Hospital patients reported much less satisfaction with their stay, with 57 per cent reporting the care they received was very good.
Less than two-thirds (65 per cent) rated the nurses as very good, with a few more (68 per cent) ranking the doctors highly.
Patients were particularly unhappy with some facilities at Nepean, with only half finding the toilets and bathrooms were clean, and the same number dissatisfied at how long they spent in the emergency department.
See www.bhi.nsw.gov.au.