Paper
Saturday, July 16, 2005
This presentation is part of : Nurse Work Environments
The Determinants of Staff Morale Among Registered Nurses in Queensland, Australia
Gary E. Day, RN, EM, DipAppSc, BNurs, MHM, AFCHSE, CHE, School of Public Health, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Learning Objective #1: Understand the complexity of morale and range of variables that have an effect on RNs' perceptions of morale
Learning Objective #2: Identify strategies to improve morale within the workplace

The paper will present findings from an initial quantitative study of RNs in Queensland, Australia (n=343) devised to explore the key determinants of morale.

Data was collected using a survey instrument consisting of 160 questions, including socio-demographic data, self-perceptions in relation to work and perceptions of the work environment and the organisation. The data was analysed using descriptive bivariate analysis, chi-square, ANOVA and binary logistic regression (BLR).

Three socio-demographic variables, financial security, general health and ability to cope were shown to be statistically significant to organisational and/or personal morale. Subsequent ANOVA analysis of the significant variables showed little evidence of strong statistical differences between the three survey sites. BLR was undertaken on the two dependent variables, organisational morale and personal morale. Following BLR modelling for organisational morale, there was a significant positive linear relationship between organisational morale and both patient care provision and team interaction. Modelling also demonstrated a strong negative relationship between negative personal morale and organisational morale. BLR modelling for personal morale demonstrated that there were significant positive relationships between team interaction, consultation and professional recognition. RNs who were exposed to lower levels of abuse were more likely to have higher personal morale. Interestingly, respondents who reported higher levels of job security, communication and patient care provision by respondents were more likely to be associated with lower personal morale. Similar to the BLR modelling for organisational morale, those respondents who reported lower levels of organisational morale more likely to have lower personal morale. Respondents reporting difficulty in coping with the day-to-day rigours of their jobs were more likely to have lower personal morale.

The presentation will also discuss the nursing management implications for the outcomes of this study.