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Perceived organizational support is a crucial factor in encouraging employees to stay in their organizations for a longer time. Public hospitals in South Africa face major challenges in attracting and retaining nurses, leading to high nurse turnover rates in the public health sector. This study investigates the effects of perceived organizational support on nurse retention in the South African Public Health Sector. While the relationship between perceived organizational support and employee retention has been extensively studied in various sectors, limited research exists within the South African’s public health sector context. This research paper addresses that gap by examining how perceived organizational support influences the retention of nurses in public hospitals. A quantitative, cross-sectional research design was employed. Data were collected from 230 nurses and analyzed using item analysis, factor analysis, and Pearson correlations. The findings revealed a moderate positive correlation between POS and nurse retention (r = 0.389, p < 0.01), indicating that higher levels of organizational support are associated with increased nurse retention. Public health administrators should therefore prioritize supportive organizational practices to attract and retain skilled nurses. Implementing supportive measures can mitigate high turnover and promote workforce stability in public hospitals. This study contributes to existing literature by providing sector-specific insights and highlights the value of organizational support in retaining nurses. This provides practical evidence to guide policies and management practices aimed at improving the nursing workforce in South African’s public health sector.

This paper aims to explore and describe the challenges experienced by nurses caring for persons diagnosed with intellectual disability. Caring for persons with intellectual disability is understood be challenging for families. This could be worse for nurses due to the challenging behaviour the persons with intellectual disability present with. This may be exacerbated by the attitudes nurses have towards persons with intellectual disability. The researchers ask the following questions: “What are the challenges experienced by nurses caring for persons with intellectual disability?” We employed an exploratory-descriptive research design, using in-depth individual face-to-face interviews to explore the nurses’ experiences. Using Tesch’s method of open coding, two overarching themes emerged: (1) Care-related challenges and (2). Facilitation of a supportive, caring environment. The findings of the study demonstrate that the experienced challenges are related to the mental status of the persons diagnosed with intellectual disability, the therapeutic environment, shortage of specialized personnel and role ambiguity. Hence, the nurses yearn for a supportive environment which includes family support and support from the institution's management, including the provision of psychosocial support, which plays a pivotal role in achieving a safe, caring environment. The findings of this study could be used to develop strategies to facilitate a supportive, caring environment to minimize therapeutic challenges.

Emergency care units are high-pressure, fast-paced environments where nurses, as frontliners, play a critical role in delivering life-saving care to patients in acute need and mental health emergencies. Despite their crucial contributions, nurses working in these settings face unique challenges that can impact not only the quality of patient care but also the physical and emotional well-being of nursing staff. Understanding these challenges is important for optimizing workplace conditions, enhancing patient care outcomes, and reinforcing the indispensable contributions of nurses within emergency healthcare settings. This study explored the challenges faced by nurses caring for mental healthcare users in emergency care units. A qualitative exploratory-descriptive design was used.  Purposive sampling selected a sample of 14 nurses from the population who participated in the study. Data were collected using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Data analysis was guided by thematic analysis. The findings showed that poor infrastructure and increased workload were major challenges faced by nurses in emergency care units. These challenges impacted their ability to provide optimal care to mental healthcare users. Despite the significant challenges identified, emergency care units remain central to critical patient care. Improving infrastructure and alleviating staff workload are essential to building a more resilient and responsive emergency care system. We recommend that healthcare institutions develop and implement strategies to support nurses and enhance patient outcomes within emergency care units.

The aim of the study was to examine how talent management affects professional nurse retention. This study utilised a quantitative research approach. To assess professional nurses' attitudes and insights regarding talent management and employee retention, 504 nurses from three public hospitals participated in a survey. It was found that talent management practices resulted in higher employee retention rates. Job security, a positive work environment, and a combination of strong leadership and rewards primarily drove staff retention. Retention strategies were found to be effective when these elements were present. Job security, work climate, and superior guidance and rewards are suggested as three new factors to consider in retaining nurses. In addition to developing a conceptual framework for talent management practices, the study also identifies ways to improve employee retention by utilizing a multidimensional approach. The study gives insight into how to maintain the viability of public hospitals by implementing talent management practices and employee retention strategies, focusing on strategies such as management commitment, talent acquisition, and creating a positive work environment. These practices can help hospitals attract and retain skilled healthcare professionals, ensuring high-quality patient care and long-term organisational success.

The sustainability of nursing education hinges on the well-being of its faculty, underscoring the intricate relationships between Work-Life Balance, the nurse educator role, and the Nursing Education Institution. This concept analysis using the Walker and Avant Method explores the interdependent connections between these core concepts, positing that they form a triad where each element influences the others. Compromised Work-Life Balance leads to burnout, diminished job satisfaction, and decreased instructional quality, ultimately affecting student outcomes. The institution's culture, policies, and leadership play a pivotal role in either enabling or hindering educator Work-Life Balance. Through an examination of core attributes and model cases, a cyclical relationship emerges, supportive institutions foster educator Work-Life Balance, yielding a virtuous cycle of high performance, retention, and institutional success. Conversely, unsupportive institutions trigger a vicious cycle of burnout, turnover, and declining educational quality. This analysis highlights the need for a multi-level approach, advocating for integrated interventions that strengthen institutional structures, support the nurse educator role, and promote Work-Life Balance strategies.

This study presents a quantitative analysis of the strategic role of job embeddedness on turnover intention among nurses in selected healthcare centres in urban Accra, Ghana. Focusing on both on-the-job and off-the-job embeddedness, the study aims to develop a predictive model as a complement to evidence-based policies on human resources to help improve the existing retention of nurses in the healthcare sector. A sample of 276 nurses was randomly selected to participate in the study. Structured questionnaires were administered through digital formats to enable selected respondents to provide data for analyses. The authors employed descriptive statistics in SPSS Version 28 to analyse the data, while Structural Equation Modelling with SmartPLS 3.0 was used to assess the relationships among the variables. By adopting an ecosystem and strategic perspective, this paper considers the role of on-the-job embeddedness as a vital stability mechanism in healthcare systems. Conversely, off-the-job embeddedness emerged as a comparatively weaker influence. The results underscore the need to improve organisational embeddedness as a strategic approach to curtail turnover and enhance healthcare service within healthcare facilities in Ghana.

Job satisfaction is essential in hospitals for professional nurses to provide quality healthcare services. Job satisfaction of professional nurses contributes to their retention in public hospitals. This study assessed the job satisfaction of professional nurses in public hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. A qualitative case study approach was utilised, collecting data through a combination of in-depth interviews with management and shop stewards, and focus group discussions with professional nurses across three public hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The interviews and focus group discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The data was analysed thematically. The following three themes emerged from the focus group discussions and interviews: passion for their jobs or profession, professional development opportunities, and a sense of appreciation and satisfaction that influenced professional nurses to continue working in public hospitals. The study further revealed that professional nurses were dissatisfied due to inadequate resources and working conditions, which prevented them from providing high-quality, comprehensive patient care. Job satisfaction is detrimental to staff retention and the provision of quality healthcare services in the South African public healthcare system. It is therefore essential that appropriate mechanisms are put in place to improve professional nurses' job satisfaction in public hospitals, as failure to do so will have a detrimental effect. Authorities should listen to and address professional nurses’ concerns to improve the quality of care in public hospitals.

Emergency care units are high-pressure, fast-paced environments where nurses, as frontliners, play a critical role in delivering life-saving care to patients in acute need and mental health emergencies. Despite their crucial contributions, nurses working in these settings face unique challenges that can impact not only the quality of patient care but also the physical and emotional well-being of nursing staff. Understanding these challenges is important for optimizing workplace conditions, enhancing patient care outcomes, and reinforcing the indispensable contributions of nurses within emergency healthcare settings. This study explored the challenges faced by nurses caring for mental healthcare users in emergency care units. A qualitative exploratory-descriptive design was used.  Purposive sampling selected a sample of 14 nurses from the population who participated in the study. Data were collected using semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Data analysis was guided by thematic analysis. The findings showed that poor infrastructure and increased workload were major challenges faced by nurses in emergency care units. These challenges impacted their ability to provide optimal care to mental healthcare users. Despite the significant challenges identified, emergency care units remain central to critical patient care. Improving infrastructure and alleviating staff workload are essential to building a more resilient and responsive emergency care system. We recommend that healthcare institutions develop and implement strategies to support nurses and enhance patient outcomes within emergency care units.

The aim of the study was to examine how talent management affects professional nurse retention. This study utilised a quantitative research approach. To assess professional nurses' attitudes and insights regarding talent management and employee retention, 504 nurses from three public hospitals participated in a survey. It was found that talent management practices resulted in higher employee retention rates. Job security, a positive work environment, and a combination of strong leadership and rewards primarily drove staff retention. Retention strategies were found to be effective when these elements were present. Job security, work climate, and superior guidance and rewards are suggested as three new factors to consider in retaining nurses. In addition to developing a conceptual framework for talent management practices, the study also identifies ways to improve employee retention by utilizing a multidimensional approach. The study gives insight into how to maintain the viability of public hospitals by implementing talent management practices and employee retention strategies, focusing on strategies such as management commitment, talent acquisition, and creating a positive work environment. These practices can help hospitals attract and retain skilled healthcare professionals, ensuring high-quality patient care and long-term organisational success.

The sustainability of nursing education hinges on the well-being of its faculty, underscoring the intricate relationships between Work-Life Balance, the nurse educator role, and the Nursing Education Institution. This concept analysis using the Walker and Avant Method explores the interdependent connections between these core concepts, positing that they form a triad where each element influences the others. Compromised Work-Life Balance leads to burnout, diminished job satisfaction, and decreased instructional quality, ultimately affecting student outcomes. The institution's culture, policies, and leadership play a pivotal role in either enabling or hindering educator Work-Life Balance. Through an examination of core attributes and model cases, a cyclical relationship emerges, supportive institutions foster educator Work-Life Balance, yielding a virtuous cycle of high performance, retention, and institutional success. Conversely, unsupportive institutions trigger a vicious cycle of burnout, turnover, and declining educational quality. This analysis highlights the need for a multi-level approach, advocating for integrated interventions that strengthen institutional structures, support the nurse educator role, and promote Work-Life Balance strategies.