Registered nurses' perceptions on the factors affecting nursing shortage in the Republic of Vanuatu Hospitals: A qualitative study.

<h4>Background</h4>Registered nurse has a vital role in delivering healthcare services to individual, family and community. One of the main challenges that health system facing globally is the shortage of nursing workforce. Vanuatu as a Pacific county is also facing the shortage issue an...

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Main Authors: Adel Tutuo Tamata, Masoud Mohammadnezhad, Ledua Tamani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2021-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251890
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spelling doaj-6ad5f349c0344be7b9dfaf4c92e44c842021-06-09T04:30:26ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032021-01-01165e025189010.1371/journal.pone.0251890Registered nurses' perceptions on the factors affecting nursing shortage in the Republic of Vanuatu Hospitals: A qualitative study.Adel Tutuo TamataMasoud MohammadnezhadLedua Tamani<h4>Background</h4>Registered nurse has a vital role in delivering healthcare services to individual, family and community. One of the main challenges that health system facing globally is the shortage of nursing workforce. Vanuatu as a Pacific county is also facing the shortage issue and the impact on the registered nurses' performance.<h4>Methods</h4>A qualitative study was used to collect data from 25 registered nurses in three randomly selected hospitals in Vanuatu between 4th to 14th September, 2020. A semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data using face-to-face in-depth interviews. The data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis process.<h4>Results</h4>Four themes were identified including; Difficult working conditions, Reinforcing factors and Perceived risks. Sub themes for difficult working condition were heavy workload, lack of workforce and unusual working hours. Sub themes for reinforcing factors were lack of support, lack of opportunities and advancement in nursing practice. Sub themes for perceived risks were stress, physical and mental risk, and social and family risks.<h4>Conclusion</h4>This study has identify factors affected shortage of current nursing workforce and the impact it has on registered nurses. Broad themes and sub-themes were identified which highlighted the impact of nursing shortage to registered nurses and the effects on their performance which includes stress or moral distress from work overload and lengthy hours shift which impact the nurses' physical, psychological, social, and family relationship, and lack of leadership support. The findings can be helpful to policy makers at the decision-making level to resolve the nursing workforce shortage and its effects in the future by refining and developing relevant policies that will address and strengthen the nursing workforce to meet the demand and improve delivery of quality health services to all individual.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251890
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Adel Tutuo Tamata
Masoud Mohammadnezhad
Ledua Tamani
spellingShingle Adel Tutuo Tamata
Masoud Mohammadnezhad
Ledua Tamani
Registered nurses' perceptions on the factors affecting nursing shortage in the Republic of Vanuatu Hospitals: A qualitative study.
PLoS ONE
author_facet Adel Tutuo Tamata
Masoud Mohammadnezhad
Ledua Tamani
author_sort Adel Tutuo Tamata
title Registered nurses' perceptions on the factors affecting nursing shortage in the Republic of Vanuatu Hospitals: A qualitative study.
title_short Registered nurses' perceptions on the factors affecting nursing shortage in the Republic of Vanuatu Hospitals: A qualitative study.
title_full Registered nurses' perceptions on the factors affecting nursing shortage in the Republic of Vanuatu Hospitals: A qualitative study.
title_fullStr Registered nurses' perceptions on the factors affecting nursing shortage in the Republic of Vanuatu Hospitals: A qualitative study.
title_full_unstemmed Registered nurses' perceptions on the factors affecting nursing shortage in the Republic of Vanuatu Hospitals: A qualitative study.
title_sort registered nurses' perceptions on the factors affecting nursing shortage in the republic of vanuatu hospitals: a qualitative study.
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
series PLoS ONE
issn 1932-6203
publishDate 2021-01-01
description <h4>Background</h4>Registered nurse has a vital role in delivering healthcare services to individual, family and community. One of the main challenges that health system facing globally is the shortage of nursing workforce. Vanuatu as a Pacific county is also facing the shortage issue and the impact on the registered nurses' performance.<h4>Methods</h4>A qualitative study was used to collect data from 25 registered nurses in three randomly selected hospitals in Vanuatu between 4th to 14th September, 2020. A semi-structured open-ended questionnaire was used to collect data using face-to-face in-depth interviews. The data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis process.<h4>Results</h4>Four themes were identified including; Difficult working conditions, Reinforcing factors and Perceived risks. Sub themes for difficult working condition were heavy workload, lack of workforce and unusual working hours. Sub themes for reinforcing factors were lack of support, lack of opportunities and advancement in nursing practice. Sub themes for perceived risks were stress, physical and mental risk, and social and family risks.<h4>Conclusion</h4>This study has identify factors affected shortage of current nursing workforce and the impact it has on registered nurses. Broad themes and sub-themes were identified which highlighted the impact of nursing shortage to registered nurses and the effects on their performance which includes stress or moral distress from work overload and lengthy hours shift which impact the nurses' physical, psychological, social, and family relationship, and lack of leadership support. The findings can be helpful to policy makers at the decision-making level to resolve the nursing workforce shortage and its effects in the future by refining and developing relevant policies that will address and strengthen the nursing workforce to meet the demand and improve delivery of quality health services to all individual.
url https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251890
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