Turnover of health care professionals at Polokwane and Mankweng Tertiary Hospital in Limpopo Province

Abstract

Turnover of health care professionals is a global challenge and has severely affected developing countries. South Africa as a developing country is not exceptional on the problem of turnover rate of health care professionals. The high vacancy rate became evident in the recent years. The health institutions depend on the health professionals in providing quality health care services. The challenges that are facing the health institutions include lack of a clear understanding by managers of the factors that are contributing to high turnover rate of health care professionals as well as the formulation of effective recruitment and retention strategies. The prevailing of the rapid changes in the internal and external environment make it difficult for the health institutions to develop and implement recruitment and retention strategies in an effort to minimise high turnover of healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study is to analyse the factors that are contributing to turnover of health care professionals at Polokwane and Mankweng Tertiary Hospital in Limpopo Province. The study also provides recruitment and retention strategies that the management may apply them to minimise the high turnover of health care professionals. The population sample was randomly selected from Polokwane and Mankweng Tertiary Hospital. Data was collected and analysed from a total number of 150 respondents. A structured questionnaire was used as an instrument for the collection of primary data. In this regard, factors such as lack of medical equipment, poor management style, poor working conditions and high workload are found to be critical factors that are affecting quality health care service and eventually the morale of employees, and resulting into turnover of health care professionals