Abstract
Work-life balance (WLB) in nursing is the subjective judgement of balance between work and the domain of life outside of work. Nurse leaders in the operating theatre are registered nurses who lead the operational activities. They issue assignments to nurses and ensure that such assignments are completed. Operating theatres are particularly busy, consequently, the nurse leaders end up working longer hours than expected, and spend the majority of the working time standing. This prompted the researcher to investigate the work-life balance practices of the nurse leaders working in the operating theatres of a provincial hospital in Kwa Zulu-Natal.
The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the work-life balance practices of the nurse leaders working in the operating theatres at a provincial hospital. A qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used. The data were collected through individual unstructured interviews, both face-to-face and online platforms using the appreciative inquiry method. A purposive sampling method was used to extract a sample of 15 from the target population of 25 nurse leaders working in the operating theatres, and data were collected until data saturation was reached. The data analysis was conducted through thematic analysis method. Trustworthiness and ethical principles were maintained throughout the study.
This study found out that there is no WLB for nurse leaders in the operating theatre in a provincial hospital in Kwa Zulu-Natal. This study therefore, outlined key recommendations for improvement of WLB, and further research concerning the challenges and dynamics of WLB for nurse