Thesis (MCur)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Absenteeism is a problem all over the world and a solution cannot be easily found.
This is also a challenge faced by employers in South Africa. Absenteeism
exacerbates the difficulty of health service delivery in many countries where the
number of nurses available is insufficient to meet all of the healthcare demands in the
health care sector, in this regard South Africa is no exception to this problem. The
annual loss to the South African economy caused by absenteeism is between R12
billion and R19.144 billion per year. A combination of factors, namely characteristics
of the nurse, the workplace, management, as well as characteristics of the
organisation can influence absenteeism.
Absenteeism of nurses is on the increase at primary care centres in the Ethekwini
municipal district and it has a negative impact on provision of health care services
where the study is proposed. It is imperative that sufficient nursing staff be available
for duty to provide services to clients. No research on absenteeism has been
conducted at these institutions. Therefore, identifying the contributing factors in order
to be able to manage it effectively is essential.
The aim of this research was to identify factors that contribute to absenteeism of
nurses at eight primary care centres in the Ethekwini municipal district of KwaZulu-
Natal. A quantitative descriptive exploratory research design was applied for this
purpose.
The population was all categories of permanently employed nursing staff working at
the eight primary care centres. The total population consisted of 689 nurses.
Following a pilot study consisting of 10% of the total sample, a research sample was
compiled by means of a simple random sampling method and included 30% of all
categories of nurses – registered nurses, enrolled nurses and nursing assistants.
Hundred and ninety one nurses out of 209 responded to the research study, which
sets the response rate at 91%. Data was collected by means of an existing
questionnaire. The questionnaire focused on the characteristics of the nurse,
manager, work environment and organisation in order to identify factors that
contribute to absenteeism of nurses.
The data was analysed with the support of a statistician and was expressed as
frequencies in tables and histograms. Descriptive statistical analyses, including tests for statistical associations, were performed. Results of this study indicate significant
relationships between characteristics of the nurse, the manager, workplace and the
organisation. Factors that were identified included stress, staff shortage, work
overload, lack of promotion opportunities, lack of child care facilities, lack of
appreciation and feedback, bureaucratic leadership styles, inflexible working
schedules and lack of a satisfactory reward system.
The results further indicate no significant relationship between demographical
variables and absenteeism.
Recommendations based on the results were offered and recommendations for
future research were made. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Afwesigheid is ’n probleem dwarsoor die wêreld waarvoor daar nie ’n maklike
oplossing gevind kan word nie. Dit is ook ’n uitdaging wat werkgewers in Suid-Afrika
in die gesig staar. Afwesigheid vergroot die struikelblok om gesondheidsdienste in
menige lande te verskaf waar die aantal beskikbare verpleegsters onvoldoende is vir
die gesondheidssorgaanvraag. In hierdie opsig is Suid-Afrika geen uitsondering nie.
Die jaarlikse verlies aan inkomste vir die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie veroorsaak deur
afwesigheid is tussen R12 en R19.144 biljoen per jaar. ’n Kombinasie van faktore,
naamlik kenmerke van die vepleegster, die bestuurder, die werkplek, asook
kenmerke van die organisasie kan afwesigheid beïnvloed.
Afwesigheid van verpleegsters is aan die toeneem by gesondheidssorg
gemeenskapsentrums in die Ethekwini-distrik in Kwazulu-Natal en dit het ’n
negatiewe impak op die voorsiening van gesondheidssorgdienste waar die studie
onderneem is. Dit is noodsaaklik dat voldoende verpleegpersoneel beskikbaar moet
wees vir diensverskaffing aan kliënte. Geen navorsing oor afwesigheid is al
onderneem by hierdie inrigtings nie. Die identifisering van die faktore wat bydra tot
afwesigheid van die werk is essensieel sodat die probleem effektief bestuur kan
word.
Die doel van hierdie navorsing is om die faktore te identifiseer wat bydra tot die
afwesigheid van verpleegsters by agt primêre gesondheidssorg
gemeenskapsentrums in die Ethekwini munisipale distrik van KwaZulu-Natal. ’n
Kwantitatiewe beskrywende, ondersoekende navorsingsontwerp is toegepas vir
hierdie doel.
Die populasie het bestaan uit alle kategorieë van permanent aangestelde
verpleegpersoneel wat werk by agt primêre gesondheidssorg gemeenskapsentrums.
Die totale populasie het bestaan uit 689 verpleegsters. Na ’n loodsprojek van 10%
van die totale steekproef, is ’n navorsingssteekproef saamgestel deur middel van ’n
eenvoudige ewekansige steekproefmetode wat 30% van alle kategorieë
verpleegsters ingesluit het, naamlik geregistreerde verpleegsters, ingeskrewe
verpleegsters en verpleegassistente. Honderd een-en-negentig verpleegsters uit 209
het reageer op die navorsingsondersoek wat ‘n responsvlak van 91% daargestel het.
Data is ingesamel deur middel van ’n bestaande vraelys. Die vraelys het gefokus op die eienskappe van die verpleegster, die bestuurder, werksomgewing en organisasie
ten einde die faktore te identifiseer wat bydrae tot die afwesigheid van verpleegsters.
Die data is geanaliseer met die ondersteuning van ’n statistikus en is uitgedruk as
frekwensies in tabelle en histogramme en diagramme. Beskrywende statistiese
analises, insluitende toetse vir statistiese assosiasies is uitgevoer. Resultate van
hierdie studie dui aan dat ‘n beduidende verhouding bestaan tussen die kenmerke
van die verpleegster, die bestuurder, werkplek, organisasie en afwesigheid van die
werk. Faktore wat geidentifiseer is sluit in stress, personeel tekort, werkoorlading,
gebrekkige bevorderingsgeleenthede, afwesigheid van fasiliteite vir die versorging
van klein kinders, gebrek aan waardering en terugvoer, burokratiese leierskapstyle,
onbuigbare werkskedules en ‘n gebrek aan ‘n bevredigende vergoedingstelsel.
Die resultate van hierdie studie dui verder aan dat daar geen verband bestaan
tussen demografiese veranderlikes en afwesigheid nie.
Aanbevelings ten opsigte van die resultate is gemaak, asook aanbevelings vir
toekomstige navorsing.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/20221 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Singh, Ragani |
| Contributors | Van der Colff, J. J., Stellenberg, E. L., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 96 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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