TY - JOUR
T1 - Staffing the unit with nurses
T2 - the role of nurse managers
AU - Ansah Ofei, Adelaide Maria
AU - Paarima, Yennuten
AU - Barnes, Theresa
AU - Kwashie, Atswei Adzo
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Purpose: To explore the staffing practices of nurse managers at the unit. Design/methodology/approach: Introduction: Ensuring that units are staffed with adequate nurses to render quality nursing care to clients has become increasingly challenging for most hospitals. There is growing evidence linking best patient outcomes and fewer adverse events to the presence of nurses at the bedside. Hospitals require to attract and retain nurses in the units to address the issues of quality, staff and patient safety. Methods: The study used a descriptive phenomenological design to purposively select 15 nurse managers (NMs) and 47 nurses for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions respectively. Findings: The study found that the demand for nurses to work in the unit was not scientific. Nurses affirmed their frustration of inadequate numbers of staff in the unit especially, at the periphery hospitals. Time can be used as a source of motivation for nurses and nurses should be involved in the development of the duty roster to enable effective compliance. Compensation for additional duties is relevant in nursing. Research limitations/implications: The research was carried only in one region in Ghana, and the findings may not be the same in the other regions. Practical implications: Inadequate staffing level has serious implications on patient safety, quality of care and staff outcomes. This situation necessitates the implementation of health sector staffing norms to ensure the right calibre of mix staff are recruited and retained. Originality/value: This study is the first in Ghana that we aware of that explore staffing practices at the unit that identifies factors that impact staff schedules for effective care.
AB - Purpose: To explore the staffing practices of nurse managers at the unit. Design/methodology/approach: Introduction: Ensuring that units are staffed with adequate nurses to render quality nursing care to clients has become increasingly challenging for most hospitals. There is growing evidence linking best patient outcomes and fewer adverse events to the presence of nurses at the bedside. Hospitals require to attract and retain nurses in the units to address the issues of quality, staff and patient safety. Methods: The study used a descriptive phenomenological design to purposively select 15 nurse managers (NMs) and 47 nurses for in-depth interviews and focus group discussions respectively. Findings: The study found that the demand for nurses to work in the unit was not scientific. Nurses affirmed their frustration of inadequate numbers of staff in the unit especially, at the periphery hospitals. Time can be used as a source of motivation for nurses and nurses should be involved in the development of the duty roster to enable effective compliance. Compensation for additional duties is relevant in nursing. Research limitations/implications: The research was carried only in one region in Ghana, and the findings may not be the same in the other regions. Practical implications: Inadequate staffing level has serious implications on patient safety, quality of care and staff outcomes. This situation necessitates the implementation of health sector staffing norms to ensure the right calibre of mix staff are recruited and retained. Originality/value: This study is the first in Ghana that we aware of that explore staffing practices at the unit that identifies factors that impact staff schedules for effective care.
KW - Nurse managers
KW - Qualitative method
KW - Staffing practices
KW - Work unit
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85106320554&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1108/JHOM-04-2020-0134
DO - 10.1108/JHOM-04-2020-0134
M3 - Article
C2 - 33998223
AN - SCOPUS:85106320554
SN - 1477-7266
VL - 35
SP - 614
EP - 627
JO - Journal of Health Organization and Management
JF - Journal of Health Organization and Management
IS - 5
ER -