A study conducted by the Department of Nursing at the University of the Witwatersrand has revealed the top 10 reasons for dissatisfaction in the nursing profession. The study was administered over a period of two years (2003- 2005) in a public hospital in Johannesburg. Dr Ansie Minnaar, lead researcher in the study says “generally all the nurses interviewed experienced low satisfaction. Our findings show that it is not only salaries that are a factor in the nursing profession. Other factors are career prospects, policy implementation, the behaviour of supervisors, and relationships with other nurses and patient.”
Human Resources
It is not all about salaries: Nurses in South Africa
Minnaar A, Selebi C: University of the Witwatersrand, August 2006
Managing health professional migration from sub-Saharan Africa to Canada: A stakeholder inquiry into policy options
Labonte R, Packer C, Klassen N: Human Resources for Health 4:22, 14 August 2006
Canada is a major recipient of foreign-trained health professionals, notably physicians from South Africa and other sub-Saharan African countries. Nurse migration from these countries, while comparatively small, is rising. African countries, meanwhile, have a critical shortage of professionals and a disproportionate burden of disease. What policy options could Canada pursue that balanced the right to health of Africans losing their health workers with the right of these workers to seek migration to countries such as Canada?
Questionnaire for educational needs assessment for ECSACON in member countries
Commonwealth Regional Health Community for east, central and southern Africa
The East, Central and Southern Africa College of Nursing (ECSACON) is an institution invested with the responsibility of improving the quality of health of the communities in the ECSA region through strengthening the contribution of nursing and midwifery services. ECSACON is conducting a needs assessment for its work and has disseminated a questionnaire for those in Authority at the Ministry of Health (MOH) or those in Nursing Regulatory bodies to complete. They ask that the questionniare found at the url given be completed and returned to ECSACON.
The importance of human resources management in health care: A global context
Kabene SM, Orchard C, Howard JM , Soriano MA, Leduc R: Human Resources for Health 4:20, 20 July 2006
This paper addresses the health care system from a global perspective and the importance of human resources management (HRM) in improving overall patient health outcomes and delivery of health care services.
Can biomedical and traditional health care providers work together? Zambian practitioners' experiences and attitudes
Kaboru BB, Falkenberg T, Ndubani P, et al: Human Resources for Health 4 (16), July 2006
An appropriate and effective response to the HIV/AIDS crisis requires reconsideration of the collaboration between traditional and biomedical health providers (THPs and BHPs). The aim of this paper is to explore biomedical and traditional health practitioners experiences of and attitudes towards collaboration and to identify obstacles and potential opportunities for them to collaborate regarding care for patients with sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV/AIDS.
Role of traditional healers in the management of severe malaria among children below five years of age: The case of Kilosa and Handeni Districts, Tanzania
Makundi EA, Malebo HM, Mhame P, Kitua AY,Warsame M: Malaria Journal 5 (58), 18 July 2006
The current malaria control strategy of WHO centres on early diagnosis and prompt treatment using effective drugs. Children with severe malaria are often brought late to health facilities and traditional health practitioners are said to be the main cause of treatment delay. In the context of the Rectal Artesunate Project in Tanzania, the role of traditional healers in the management of severe malaria in children was studied. Traditional health care is not necessarily a significant impediment or a delaying factor in the treatment of severe malaria. There is a need to foster training on the management of severe cases, periodically involving both traditional health practitioners and health workers to identify modalities of better collaboration.
The cost of health professionals brain drain in Kenya
Kirigia JM, Gbary AR, Muthuri LK, Nyoni J, Seddoh A: BMC Health Services Research 6 (89), 17 July 1006
Past attempts to estimate the cost of migration were limited to education costs only and did not include the lost returns from investment. The objectives of this study were: (i) to estimate the financial cost of emigration of Kenyan doctors to the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA); (ii) to estimate the financial cost of emigration of nurses to seven OECD countries (Canada, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Portugal, UK, USA); and (iii)to describe other losses from brain drain. Developed countries continue to deprive Kenya of millions of dollars worth of investments embodied in her human resources for health. If the current trend of poaching of scarce human resources for health (and other professionals) from Kenya is not curtailed, the chances of achieving the Millennium Development Goals would remain bleak. Such continued plunder of investments embodied in human resources contributes to further underdevelopment of Kenya and to keeping a majority of her people in the vicious circle of ill-health and poverty. Therefore, both developed and developing countries need to urgently develop and implement strategies for addressing the health human resource crisis.
The importance of human resources management in health care: A global context
Kabene SM, Orchard C, Howard JM, et al: Human Resources for Health 4 (20), July 2006
This paper addresses the health care system from a global perspective and the importance of human resources management (HRM) in improving overall patient health outcomes and delivery of health care services. This paper will reveal how human resources management is essential to any health care system and how it can improve health care models.
Communities provide HIV and tuberculosis care in Malawi
Zachariah R, Teck R, Buhendwa L: id21 Infectious Diseases, 16 June 2006
Malawi’s health service is struggling under the burden of HIV and AIDS and tuberculosis (TB). Its health workforce has only limited capacity to cope due to severe staff shortages, poor salaries and working conditions, high levels of HIV and AIDS-related deaths and chronic absenteeism due to illness among staff. Without a strong health workforce, community members may have an important role to play in providing HIV and TB care. Médecins Sans Frontières describes an example of community involvement in district level HIV and TB care. The study focuses on Thyolo district, a rural region of southern Malawi with 458,976 inhabitants, of which an estimated 41,000 are living with HIV. It covers a two-year period from January 2003 to December 2004.
Holding second jobs: Regulation in the public health sector
Jan S, Bian Y, Jumpa M, et al: id21 Health, 9 May 2006
Medical professionals working in the public sector often supplement their salaries through second jobs in the private sector. Their dual job activities have both positive and negative implications for the public health sector. What policy options exist for regulating dual job holding and what is their likely effect?