Table 3.
Descriptive expressions and coded segments.
| Examples of descriptive expressions | Coded segments | |
|---|---|---|
| Although my work gives me much satisfaction, it poses too many threats to my family… | Seg1 | Personal satisfaction in present work unit |
| Our work involves both direct and indirect patient care… We have more paperwork to do now… I have to fill in a four-page form in order to transfer a patient to another unit. | Seg2 | Description of present work responsibilities |
| There is too much paperwork, which is time-wasting… I don’t see its value… | Seg3 | General evaluation of the reasonableness of work responsibilities |
| This (paperwork) deprives me of time to spend with patients. | ||
| Most of our work cannot be done by others, for example, patient education and handling patients’ and relatives’ concerns and queries… | Seg4 | Aspects of irreplaceable work responsibilities |
| We used to delegate simple duties to the healthcare assistants, for example, bathing and oral feeding… | Seg5 | Aspects of delegable work responsibilities |
| Many experienced nurses left before, so we have more junior nurses now… | Seg6 | Description of staff mix in present work unit |
| Most of the time I have to be the ward-in-charge and work with less experienced nurses during the night shift; I find this very stressful… | Seg7 | Comments on current staff mix |
| We are short of staff, the problem of turnover is serious… | Seg8 | Description of seriousness of manpower shortage/nurse turnover in present workplace |
| We don’t have adequate manpower to cover our vocational leave… | ||
| Private hospitals offer better employment terms, I think improving these could help retain them (nurses)… | Seg9 | Factors to be taken into account in easing manpower shortage/nurse turnover in present workplace |
| Staff morale is good… There is solidarity among us. | Seg10 | Description of nursing morale in present workplace |
| Morale is poor…colleagues here are segregated into territorial groups… | ||
| Our morale fluctuates, especially when infections recur successively. | Seg11 | Factors contributing to high/low morale |
| When these complaints are reported to the manager, the manager simply scolds us, assuming that it is always our fault… This has affected our morale badly. | ||
| I am proud to be a nurse because I help people when they are most vulnerable… | Seg12 | Personal sense of commitment to nursing as a career |
| Nurses do not work for monetary benefits, but for patients’ sakes. | ||
| Nursing is harsh work; I don’t recommend it to my relatives or friends… | Seg13 | Introducing nursing to acquaintances |
| Some of my colleagues are planning to leave… I think the situation will worsen if the authority does not introduce any strategies to deal with this… | Seg14 | Views on future nursing manpower situation |
| Offering professional development opportunities is important… The hospital can consider offering official releases for staff to take part in training courses… | Seg15 | Suggested changes that will make one happy to stay in nursing/present work unit |
| The hospital should recruit more nurses… We are already physically exhausted; we can’t tolerate any more if the condition persists… | Seg16 | Views on manpower retention in local public hospitals |
| I feel more stressed working in an isolation unit as I know I am exposed to a higher risk of infection. | Seg17 | Perceived work stress |
| The mass media fails to truly illustrate the professional image of nurses. | Seg18 | Recommendations on strategies to improve the nursing workforce: |
| Our sense of job security is affected by the contractual employment. | Improve professional image and recognition | |
| Our morale fluctuates, especially when infections recur successively… When the moment (of infection outbreak) comes, things are still messy. The management team then reacts by changing guidelines rapidly; this further increases our work stress. | Improve job incentives | |
| All of us are under stress, especially now that there is not enough manpower … I hope that the managers can help improve our work conditions by listening to our concerns and addressing our needs… | Improve morale | |
| Improve managerial support | ||
| Improve work condition | ||
| Reduce work stress | ||