Abstract
M.Cur. (Professional Nursing)
Grievance procedures form an important instrument by means
of which nursing staff can make their grievances known to
management, thereby effecting a solution to the problem.
Therefore, the way in which grievances are handled form an
integral part of the staff duties of a nursing service
manager. The effective handling of grievances directly
influences the satisfaction of nursing staff, as well as
the quality of nursing, and thus productivity. Effective
handling of grievances depends on the nursing service
manager's knowledge of and abiU ty to utilise grievance
procedures. This implies that the nursing service manager
should be willing and able to investigate all grievances
that she becomes aware of, in a consistent manner. She can
only fulfil this responsibility if there is an existing
grievance procedure in the hospital, and if this procedure
is known to all nursing staff. Utilisation of this procedure
only is possible when all staff have access to it.
This is ensured by training, which will equip them with
knowledge and skills in the execution of grieval1ce
procedures.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether grievances
are being handled effectively by nursing service
managers in selected hospitals. A descriptive, exploratory
study was done within this context by means of a historical
analysis of available literature, including newspaper
reports, as well as by case study analyses and interviews
with nursing service managers in the selected hospitals. A
self-training programme regarding the management of
grievances will be developed.
Analysis of the data indicates that nursing service
managers in the selected hospitals do not handle grievance
procedures effectively During interviews the nursing
service managers indicated that grievance procedures do
indeed exist at the hospitals in the Pretoria Witwatersrand
area. However, a degree of uncertainty exist. about the
difference between grievance procedures and disciplinary
procedures.