A workload model for nurse educators in private higher education: options for improved productivity and job satisfaction
Coetzee, Catherina Maria (Kayline) (2019-04)
ENGLISH ABSTRACT : Nursing education in South Africa is continuously being influenced by significant changes in all spheres of higher education. There is little doubt that most of these changes have a major impact on the workload of nurse educators in private higher education, possibly even more so in relatively young and developing private higher education institutions. Considering recent contextual changes, this study aimed at investigating the workload position of nurse educators within a typical private higher education institute in South Africa and developing a realistic and suitable workload model that may contribute to raising the efficiency, work satisfaction and productivity benchmark of nurse educators. In this study the researcher employed the systems theory and expectancy theory as theoretical lenses to understand the phenomenon of both the theoretical and clinical components of nurse education and their relation to motivation, productivity and job satisfaction within nursing education. The study centred on private healthcare education at an identified multi-campus private healthcare organisation as the employer. The researcher strived to gauge, describe and possibly improve the productivity and job satisfaction of nurse educators as employees of this organisation. It was argued that the workload of the nurse educator is complex and multifaceted which therefore required a pluralistic research design. A range of research methods employed from within a pragmatic worldview, as the philosophical underpinning, gave the researcher the freedom to select a Framework for an Integrated Methodology (FraIM) to address the research question(s). Data were analysed from workload diaries, individual and group interviews and a Delphi exercise which was used to strive towards consensus. It was concluded that the work situation of nursing educators at one multi-campus private higher education institution is complex and challenging, yet stimulating. The study revealed that nurse educators are under pressure due to increased workloads within a rapidly changing nurse education environment. The study showed a private nurse education sector in South Africa faced with financial challenges and although private institutions acquire skills plan levies for the training of nurses in certain specialties and as listed companies, they do not get any state subsidy for basic nursing education. These institutions are expected to carry the financial burden of training basic nursing students in a highly competitive medical care service provider business world. The main value of the study is its contribution to the development of a practical workload model that may not only assist in addressing the needs of the host private higher education institution but also add value to the core business needs of the holding company and similar universal nurse education entities. The study contributed to an improved understanding of the various factors contributing to the complex workload of nurse educators. An important outcome of the suggested development of an allinclusive workload model is the benefit of an effective management tool to determine person-power requirements more accurately during planning and budgeting operations in private nursing education.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Verpleegonderwys in Suid-Afrika word beïnvloed deur ‘n reeks beduidende veranderinge op alle terreine van hoër onderwys. Daar is min twyfel dat die meeste van hierdie veranderinge 'n beduidende impak het op die werkslading van verpleegopvoeders in privaat hoër onderwys, insluitend relatief jong en ontwikkelende private hoër onderwysinstellings. Met inagneming van onlangse kontekstuele veranderinge, was hierdie studie daarop gemik om die werklas van verpleegopvoeders binne 'n tipiese private hoër onderwysinstelling in Suid-Afrika te ondersoek en om 'n realistiese werksladingmodel te ontwikkel wat moontlik kan bydra tot die doeltreffendheid, werksbevrediging en produktiwiteit van verpleegopvoeders. In hierdie studie is stelselsteorie en verwagtingsteorie as teoretiese lense gebruik om die verskynsel van beide die teoretiese en kliniese komponente van verpleegonderwys te verstaan midde hul verhouding tot motivering, werksbevrediging en produktiwiteit binne verpleegonderrig. Dit geld veral vir privaat gesondheidsopvoeders in ‘n bepaalde multi-kampus privaatgesondheidsorg instelling as werkgewer om die werkstevredenheid en produktiwiteit van verpleegopvoeders te meet, beskryf en moontlik te verbeter. Daar word geargumenteer dat die werklas van die verpleegopvoeder kompleks en veelsydig is wat 'n multimetodiese navorsingsontwerp vereis. 'n Verskeidenheid navorsingsmetodes is dus in hierdie studie gebruik binne 'n pragmatiese wêreldbeskouing. Hierdie filosofiese onderbou het die navorser die vryheid gegee het om ‘n Raamwerk vir 'n Geïntegreerde Metodiek (FraIM) te kies om die navorsingsvraag/vrae aan te spreek. Die FraIM is 'n responsiewe, buigsame en oop metodologiese benadering wat die navorsingsvraag/vrae kon help beantwoord. Die studie het data uit werkladingdagboeke, onderhoudontleding en 'n Delphi oefening gebruik om konsensus na te streef. Die studie toon dat die werksituasie van verpleegopvoeders by die geïdentifiseerde multi-kampus privaat hoër onderwysinrigting kompleks en uitdagend, maar tog stimulerend is. Daar is min twyfel dat verpleegopvoeders onder druk verkeer weens verhoogde werksladings binne 'n snel veranderende hoër onderwys verplegingsmilieu. Die studie het ook getoon dat die privaat verpleegsektor-onderwyssektor in Suid-Afrika met finansiële uitdagings gekonfronteer word, hoewel privaat instellings vaardigheidsplanheffings vir die opleiding van verpleegkundiges in sekere spesialiteite ontvang. As genoteerde maatskappye kry hierdie instellings geen staatsubsidie vir basiese verpleegonderwys nie. Daar word van hierdie instellings verwag om die finansiële las van die opleiding van basiese verpleegstudente in 'n hoogs mededingende mediese sorg sakewêreld te dra. Die hoofwaarde van die studie setel in 'n voorgestelde werksladingmodel wat nie net mag help om sekere aspekte van die verpleegonderwysbehoeftes van private hoëronderwysinstellings aan te spreek nie, maar ook waarde toevoeg tot die kernbesigheidsbehoeftes van die verskeie houermaatskappye en soortgelyke verpleegonderwysinstellings. Meerdere insigte en kennis is verkry oor verskillende faktore wat bydra tot die komplekse werkslading van verpleegopvoeders. Een belangrike uitkoms van die ontwikkeling van 'n inklusiewe werksladingmodel is die voordeel van 'n geskikte instrument om mensekragvereistes meer akkuraat te bepaal tydens beplanning en begrotingsaktiwiteite in privaat verpleegonderwys.
Please refer to this item in SUNScholar by using the following persistent URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/105939