Improving public sector effectiveness in the Australian health industry - Lessons for management

Abstract

This paper examines the factors influencing nursing staff turnover in a major public hospital in Australia. Social Capital theory is used as the theoretical framework to explain why networks are important to nurses. The findings suggest that 'interpersonal relationships' within the hospital is one of the key factors influencing nurses' job satisfaction and commitment. The implication for management practices is that they must therefore develop policies that strengthen and maintain effective workplace relationships if retention is to be improved. The findings suggest that 'good interpersonal relationships' and 'good work environment' were the major factors influencing job satisfaction and employee commitment, however, these factors alone did not affect staff retention. Based on the research findings, factors that need to be addressed in order to enhance nurse retention include training/support, career development, staffing levels, workload management, work-life balance such as flexible rostering, communication, participation in decision-making and management of poor performance.