Nursing morale: what does the literature reveal?

Abstract

There is increasing attention to nursing workforce issues such as recruitment, retention, turnover, workplace health and safety issues and their impact on quality patient care. A number of these problems have been linked to poor morale. While there has been a lack of consensus on the determinants of morale, it is clear that the outcomes of poor morale not only add considerable cost to the organisation but also impact negatively on patient care. This article provides a systematic overview of the literature surrounding nursing morale and the variables identified in the literature that impact upon morale, and discusses the impli- cations for future research.

Morale and Role Strain of Undergraduate Nursing Students in a Pediatric Clinical Setting

“…The importance of group interaction and its effect on the concept of morale suggest that the stability of the group's cohesion depend on morale (Daum, 1993). When supportive professional relationships with medical staff were present, nurses reported that their work was more meaningful and satisfying and that their professional knowledge and skills were used (Day et al, 2006). Nursing students in the study also presented a similar situation.…”

“…Nursing students in the study also presented a similar situation. On the basis of Orme's (1978) report, positive morale was seen as an attitude of confidence in the mind of the individual where they identified with a group, accepted group goals, and worked toward achieving them collectively (cited in Day et al, 2006).…”

“…Particular focus was given to the criteria used to ensure the trustworthiness and credibility of the data and research process. Content analysis of the data was undertaken to provide baseline data on nursing students' positive or negative feelings (Ingraham & Manning, 1981, cited in Britt et al, 2007 and perceptions of clinical events, situations, or persons (Andrews et al, 2006;Brodie et al, 2004;Day, Minichiello, & Madison, 2006;Fagerberg, 2004;Maben et al, 2007;Secrest et al, 2005). All data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis on the basis of unitizing, categorizing, and filling in patterns, whereas analysis was linked to the process of data collection (Strauss & Corbin, 1990).…”

“…There was a systematic overview of the nursing morale, including intrinsic factors such as professional worth/respect, opportunity, skill development, work group relationships, and patient care and external factors such as organizational structures, operational issues, leadership traits/management styles, communication, and staffing (Day et al, 2006). In the study, some specific aspects, that is, pediatric clinic of the job perception of the nursing students, such as doing a wrong thing, causing harm to ill children, or managing grief, might be relevant for service development, training, supervision, quality of facultyYstudent interaction, and student competence.…”

The impact of supervisor–subordinate relationships on morale: implications for public and private sector nurses' commitment

“…, 2006). Morale is a key indicator of absenteeism, commitment, turnover and productivity; however, to date, few studies have examined this issue for Australian nurses (Day et al. , 2006).…”