Abstract
Quality of work life focuses on how people experience work and the main focal point thereof is to get employers and employees to work together to improve employees’ work experiences. However, an excessive workload, ambiguities in nurses’ roles, the challenging nature of nurses’ duties, and the lack of advancing nurses’ knowledge and skills acquisition remains a challenge that results in feelings of insecurity and anxiety.
The purpose of this study was to explore and describe how newly employed professional nurses experience quality of work life at a private hospital in Gauteng. The study will also assist in describing guidelines to improve newly employed professional nurses’ quality of work life. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, contextual, and phenomenological research design was used to explore and describe the experiences of newly employed professional nurses regarding the quality of their work life at a private hospital in Gauteng. The target population for the study was newly employed professional nurses who were employed for less than 12 months in a private hospital in Gauteng. A purposive sample was utilised. Data was collected through individual, in-depth, semi-structured interviews until data saturation. An open coding qualitative method was used for data analysis. The researcher adhered to ethical principles. Principles of credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability were used to ensured trustworthiness.
Findings were conceptualised within the relevant literature. The following themes and their related sub-themes emerged as positive experiences: accepting supportive colleagues; teamwork; supporting management practices; and opportunities for professional growth through orientation and mentoring. Negative emotional experiences include: feelings of demotivation; stress and frustration; lack of reward and recognition practices; and inconsistent staff allocation. Guidelines, limitations, recommendations, and conclusions were made.
M.Cur. (Nursing Management)