Exploring the Nature and Impact of Nurse Workload on Care: A Qualitative Study in Health Facilities in a Resource-Limited Municipality.

purposeThe study explored the workload and perceived quality of nursing care among nurses and patients at some selected health facilities in the Ho Municipality.

methodsThis study employed an exploratory qualitative research design, involving registered nurses with at least 1 year of work experience at the selected hospitals, and patients who had been admitted for at least 3 days in three selected hospitals in the Ho Municipality. A purposive sampling technique was used in recruiting the study participants, and saturation was achieved after 19 semistructured interviews, consisting of 10 nurses and nine patients. All interviews were digitally recorded with audio recorders and were transcribed verbatim by the researchers and analyzed using thematic analysis.

findingsStaffing and resource allocations, organizational policies and cultures, patient and family factors, a lack of managerial support, and workplace violence were contributing factors to the high workload. Also, physical and mental stress, compromised patient safety and quality of care, and thoughts of changing careers were impacts of the workload. Nurses reported various coping strategies, such as improvisation, communication, working collaboratively, time management, and self-medication. Most patients expressed satisfaction with the nurses' interpersonal and communication skills, the privacy offered during procedures, and competence and professionalism. Patients were unhappy about the lateness of medication administration and the lack of attentiveness. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Adequate staffing and resources, combined with periodic in-service training, can help alleviate the burden and enhance nurses' physical and mental wellbeing, patient safety, and the quality of their care.