Occupational challenges faced by nursing personnel at a state hospital in Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

Occupational challenges exist in all working environments, and affect all levels of organisational personnel from top management to employee levels. State hospitals in South Africa place occupational demands mainly upon registered nurses who make up most of the hospital staff. The focus of the research investigation concentrated mainly on a population of three groups of registered nurses at a state hospital in Cape Town. They are staff nurses, professional nurses and enrolled nursing assistants. These nurses are experiencing a decline in morale, due to staff shortages, a lack of resources and a perceived lack of leadership. They experience various levels of stress, which affect their personal health and morale. The objective of the research was to analyse the impact on the state registered nurses of three main contributors of occupational challenges faced by these nurses, namely a lack of resources, staff shortages and a perceived lack of good leadership. The nurses are employed to provide quality care for patients in state hospitals.