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Learning Objective 1: understand the workenvironments of nurses in a developing country
Learning Objective 2: relate existing international evidence to emerging European and developing countries data
OBJECTIVE: To provide a comprehensive synthesis of data from private and public hospitals in South Africa to explain the relationship between the quality of hospital nurse work environments in South Africa and nurse burnout, job dissatisfaction and intent to leave.
METHODS: The data is derived from the Registered Nurse Forecast (RN4CAST) study that was conducted in 10 European Union Countries, as well as China, South Africa and Botswana. Instruments include the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Environment, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and measures of nurse qualifications, nurse to patient workloads, nurse ratings of quality care and frequency of adverse patient outcomes.
RESULTS: A significant link was found between the quality of hospital nurse work environments in private and public hospitals in South Africa and nurse burnout, job dissatisfaction and intent to leave. The results support international evidence that hospitals with better quality nurse work environments have lower rates of nurse burnout, job dissatisfaction and intent to leave. However, for the first time in South Africa we have national evidence to influence policy.
CONCLUSIONS: Reform of hospital nurse work environments in the private and public healthcare sectors in South Africa are likely to moderate nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction, improving the retention of nurses in hospital practice.