The lived experiences of registered nurses on structural empowerment and subsequent career advancement at a tertiary hospital in the Cape Metropole

Date
2022-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: To enhance the professional development of nurses, nurses should be given access to empowerment structures, such as information, opportunity, resources, and support. Access to these empowerment structures facilitates the professional development of nurses and aids in career advancement. Nurse managers have an obligation to foster a work environment that is conducive to the empowerment of nurses. Nurse managers need to use their power, both formal and informal to ensure that employees have the resources they need to develop professionally. Nurses who are positioned higher up in the organizational hierarchy appear to have more access to empowerment structures than their subordinates. It is therefore imperative that nurse managers support their subordinates and provide them access to empowerment structures. Research aim: The aim of the study was to explore the lived experiences of registered nurses on structural empowerment and subsequent career advancement at a tertiary hospital in the Cape Metropole of South Africa. Research objectives: The objectives were: •To explore the lived experiences of registered nurses on structuralempowerment and subsequent career advancement. •To explore the lived experiences of registered nurses on the role of the unitmanager in the empowerment and subsequent career advancement ofregistered nurses. Method: Interpretive phenomenology was employed to gain understanding of the phenomenon under study. The population comprised of registered nurses who were permanently employed in the medical and surgical wards at a central hospital in the Cape Metropole in the Western Cape. The final sample comprised of eleven participants which included four junior registered nurses, three senior registered nurses, two operational managers and one deputy nurse manager. Purposive sampling was employed to select the range of participants. Ethical approval was obtained from Health Research Ethics Committee of Stellenbosch University and institutional permission from the institution under study. Written informed consent was obtained from participants to participate in the study. Data collection was conducted through individual interviews using a semi-structured interview guide and the technique of reflection described by Carl Rogers. Data analysis was conducted according to the six stages described by Ajjawi and Higgs (2007:621-626). Trustworthiness was enhanced by applying the principles of dependability, credibility, confirmability, and transferability. Results: Four main themes and fifteen sub-themes emerged from the data. The results indicated that although nurses understand the concept of empowerment, not all nurses are empowered. The shortage of nurses significantly impairs nursing empowerment.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: Om die professionele ontwikkeling van verpleegkundiges te verbeter, moet verpleegkundiges toegang tot bemagtigingstrukture kry, soos inligting, geleentheid, hulpbronne en ondersteuning. Toegang tot hierdie bemagtigingstrukture fasiliteer die professionele ontwikkeling van verpleegkundiges en hulpmiddels in loopbaanbevordering. Verpleegkundige bestuurders het 'n verpligting om 'n werksomgewing te bevorder wat bevorderlik is vir die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges. Verpleegkundige bestuurders moet hul krag gebruik, beide formeel en informeel om te verseker dat werknemers die hulpbronne het wat hulle nodig het om professioneel te ontwikkel. Verpleegkundiges wat hoër in die organisatoriese hiërargie geposisioneer is, het blykbaar meer toegang tot bemagtigingstrukture as hul ondergeskiktes. Dit is dus noodsaaklik dat verpleegkundige bestuurders hul ondergeskiktes ondersteun en hulle toegang tot bemagtigingstrukture gee. Navorsingsdoel: Die doel van die studie was om die geleefde ervarings van geregistreerde verpleegkundiges oor strukturele bemagtiging en daaropvolgende loopbaanbevordering by 'n tersiêre hospitaal in die Kaapse Metropool van Suid-Afrika te ondersoek. Navorsingsdoelwitte: Die doelstellings was: • Om die geleefde ervarings van geregistreerde verpleegkundiges oor strukturele bemagtiging en daaropvolgende loopbaanbevordering te ondersoek. • Om die geleefde ervarings van geregistreerde verpleegkundiges te ondersoek oor die rol van die eenheidsbestuurder in die bemagtiging en daaropvolgende loopbaanbevordering van verpleegkundiges. Metode: Interpretatiewe verskynsel is gebruik om begrip te kry van die verskynsel onder studie. Die bevolking bestaan uit geregistreerde verpleegkundiges wat permanent in die mediese en chirurgiese wyke by 'n sentrale hospitaal in die Kaapse metropool in die Wes-Kaap werksaam was. Die finale steekproef het bestaan uit elf-deelnemers wat vier junior geregistreerde verpleegkundiges, drie senior geregistreerde verpleegkundiges, twee operasionele bestuurders, een assistentverpleegkundigebestuurder en een adjunkverpleegkundigebestuurder ingesluit het. Purposive steekproefneming is gebruik om die reeks deelnemers te kies. Etiese goedkeuring is verkry van die Gesondheidsnavorsingsetiekkomitee van die Universiteit Stellenbosch en institusionele toestemming vorm die instelling onder studie. Skriftelike ingeligte toestemming is van deelnemers verkry om aan die studie deel te neem. Data-insameling is uitgevoer deur individuele onderhoude met behulp van 'n semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudsgids en die tegniek van refleksie wat deur Carl Rogers beskryf word. Data-analise is gedoen volgens die ses stadiums wat deur Ajjawi en Higgs beskryf word. Betroubaarheid is versterk deur die beginsels van betroubaarheid, geloofwaardigheid, betroubaarheid en oordraagbaarheid toe te pas. Resultate: Vier hooftemas en vyftien subtemas het uit die data ontstaan. Die resultate het aangedui dat hoewel verpleegkundiges die konsep van bemagtiging verstaan, nie alle verpleegkundiges bemagtig word nie. Die tekort aan verpleegkundiges benadeel verpleegbemagtiging aansienlik.
Description
Thesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Nurses -- Career development -- Western Cape -- South Africa, Nursing -- Vocational guidance -- Western Cape -- South Africa, Nurse practitioners -- Training of -- Western Cape -- South Africa, UCTD
Citation