Evaluating the implementation of Employee Assistance Programmes amongst nurses in Mafikeng Provincial Hospital

Abstract

The implementation of Employee Assistance Programmes (EAP) needs assessment to know its impacts on employee productivity at the workplace. Various factors may threaten its relevance. This study perused the implementation of EAP at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital (MPH). It investigated how best to implement the program to the benefits of the users. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Herzberg Motivation and Hygiene Theories underpinned this study, emphasising the importance of satisfying the employees' needs to ensure they remain productive at the workplace. Research interviews aided in collecting data from thirty (30) purposefully selected participants. The researcher used Atlas-ti Software (version 8.2) to analyse data after transcribing it from field notes. Findings revealed that the EAP implementation process at MPH had been disengaged from its purposes due to managerial cum administrative concerns. The programme implementation, EAP training, EAP marketing, networking, and monitoring and evaluation are lacking in the implementation process. Findings further portrayed that the challenges of EAPs at MPH include awareness and marketing issues, stigmatisation of employees, lack of standardised procedure, and issues related to cost. There is also inadequate case monitoring, non-confidentiality of cases, communication issues, inability to follow guidelines, incompetent staff, lack of education and lengthy procedure. The study recommends that improving the situation through staff training, funding, continuous monitoring and evaluation, and others would help perfect EAP implementation at MPH