Employee wellbeing, staff morale, occupational stress and engagement in the public nursing sector of South Africa.
Mabe, Freda Lulama
Mabe, Freda Lulama
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Abstract
Nurses in the public sector are perceived to be under continued occupational stress due to increased pressure at the workplace, which results in a lack of employee wellbeing, low staff morale, and less employee engagement. This study aims to explore the relationship between employee wellbeing, staff morale, occupational stress, and employee engagement among nurses in the public sector of South Africa. A quantitative research method, within a positivism paradigm, was used in the study, following a survey design. The population consisted of nursing staff in the public sector of South Africa. Through non-probability convenience sampling a sample of 461 nursing staff was drawn. Respondents completed a self-administered questionnaire that included employee wellbeing, staff morale, occupational stress and employee engagement. The questionnaire demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach alpha’s above 0.8) for all the subscales.
Data analysis and interpretation were based on descriptive and inferential statistics. Factor analysis, Pearson’s correlation coefficient, Analyses of variance, and Multiple Regression were deployed as inferential analytical tools. The findings revealed a positive relationship among employee wellbeing, staff morale, occupational stress, and employee engagement. Employee engagement is a mediator in the relationship between employee wellbeing and staff morale and staff morale is a significant contributor to employee engagement. This study's results helped to understand the relationship between employee wellbeing, staff morale, occupational stress and employee engagement and urge the public nursing sector of South Africa to implement appropriate strategies to manage these constructs. The public nursing sector should address the current workload of nurses and implement support systems for nurses, for example training and counselling, to deal with death and trauma. To ensure an adequate future supply of professional nurses, the public health sector has to address the staff morale of the lowest nursing rank, assistant nurses, through continuous development programmes and establishing a supportive positive work environment.
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Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree, Doctor Technologiae: Human Resources Management in the Department of People Management and Development, Faculty of Management Sciences at Tshwane University of Technology.
Date
2024-02-20
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Nurses, Occupational stress, Low staff morale, Public health, South Africa