The study of staff turnover amongst registered nurses : the case of Bophirima district in the North West Province, South Africa

Abstract

The aim of the study is to explore staff turnover amongst registered nurses in Bophirima District Hospitals. The following are the study's specific objectives: determine the factors contributing to staff turnover; to investigate the effectiveness of the retention policy; • to device means to alleviate the problem of staff turnover; • and to explore how staff turnover affect the financial situation of the hospital. The qualitative design was used in the study and entailed 100% of management (Chief Executive Officers and Nursing Services mangers) and 50% of functional registered nurses (Unit managers and operational registered nurses) in all Bophirima District Hospitals. The research studies revealed that staff turnover have largely contributed towards the shortage of staff and thus created stress and burn-out for the remaining nurses. The following factors were found to be detrimental to the nursing care process and, thus, caused nurses to leave for greener pastures overseas: • Emigration of registered nurses to oversees countries, • High level of frustration, stress and burnout due to shortage of staff, • Poor working conditions, lack of essential equipments, • Lack professional development,

• Lack of management support, lack of career path, high staffing cost, Lack of awareness about retention strategies. On the basis of the findings, the following are recommendations were made: • reviewing the remuneration package of registered nurses, • introduction of occupation specific dispensation for registered nurses, • allowing retired nurses who are still strong and able to work limited hours, • allowing moonlighting of registered nurses from other health districts, provinces and private sector, • Improvement in the conditions of service of registered nurses by the introduction of rest rooms/change rooms and cafeteria facilities, • maintenance of hospital facilities to improve the general image of the institutions, • Review and create awareness about retention strategy. Occasional debriefing sessions must be considered to deal with stress and burnout.