Exodus of Nurses in a Tertiary Government Hospital: Nursing Service Workforce Perspectives
Authors: Gonzales Ma. Gay M. , Amparado Mauro Allan Padua 
Published: July 2020

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to determine the perspectives of the Nursing service workforce on the exodus of nurses occurring at a government tertiary hospital and their interventions. The outcome of the study served as basis for recommendations to the Human Resource Management of the hospital. Specifically, the study answered the following questions:1.What are the perspectives of the nurse administrators on the exodus of nurses in terms of:1.1.staff replacement;1.2.scheduling of duties;1.3.work assignment;1.4.scheduling of leaves;1.5.supervision;1.6.staff promotion; and1.7.budget needs.2.What are the perspectives of the staff nurses on the exodus of nurses in terms of:2.1.work load;2.2.competence;2.3.promotion and career path; and2.4.nursing administrators’ functions.3.What are the perspectives of the nursing attendants on the exodus of nurses in terms of:3.1.own workload;3.2.nurses’ work load;3.3.nurses’ competence;3.4.nurses’ promotion and career path;3.5.its affectations on nursing administrators’ functions?4.What interventions have been put in place to cope with the affectations of the exodus of nurses as perceived by:4.1.nurse administrators;4.2.staff nurses; and4.3.nursing attendants? Methods:The qualitative study utilized the nursing service workforce of Zamboanga City Medical Clinic, Zamboanga City, Philippines which consists of 20 nurse supervisors, 95 staff nurses, and 41 nursing attendants. A structured interview guide was used. Findings and Conclusion:The nurse administrators perceived that the exodus of nurses affected their work as it took time to replace staff. Due to the lack of personnel, scheduling of duties was difficult. They acted as relievers or went “on call” or as “trouble shooters.” Granting of leaves was difficult and more supervision was needed over the new hires. However, there was a greater chance of staff nurse promotion. More budget was needed for hiring of contractual health workers to augment the nursing workforce.The staff nurses also perceived an increase in their work load. Although the senior nurses were competent, the increase in patient and area loads made them less effective, having less time for patient care. However, the staff nurses had more chances of getting promoted.Some nursing attendants, likewise, perceived an increase in their work load because they worked with the staff nurses as a team. Others, however, claimed that they were not affected of the exodus since they have different functions and responsibilities. There is an increase in the workload for the nursing service workload due to nurse migration while replacement process is underway. Volunteers and contractual health workers were utilized to augment the workforce. Staff promotion is a welcome event caused by the vacancies due to the resignation of employees.The exodus of nurses adversely affected the financial status, system and operations of the hospital. However, the nursing attendants were not affected because they maximized the volunteer and contractual workers to augment the workforce.Recommended citation:Gonzales, M. G. M. &amp; Amparado, M. A. P. (2009, March). Exodus of Nurses in a Tertiary Government Hospital: Nursing Service Workforce Perspectives. 2009 Southwestern University Research Congress, 1(1), 35-37.