Nurse Managers’ Perceptions towards the Roles They Play in a Resource- Limited Hospital Setting in Western Kenya

Abstract

Aim: This report is an excerpt from a wider study on job description of nurse managers. To describe the experiences and perceptions of nurse managers t hospital. Methods: This was a qualitative phenomenological design, drawing lived experiences and perceptions o managers. Study was done in February 2011 in a 600 bed public hospital in western Kenya, targeting all the 16 consenting nurse managers working in the institution. Data was collected from a focus group discussion and subjected to content analysis into key points. Problem Recognition: Nurse as employee, awareness of the demanding job, reflecting. Some respondents disagreed that the job was satisfying to them. Some apprehension was obvious. duplicating and reciprocating. All respondents agreed that they did work that someone else was supposed to do. Exhaustion: High expectations, lowly appreciated, stagnating but not redundant, wearing out, frustration recognition, supplies and equipment came out strongly as limiting factors in the performance of their complex roles. The nurse managers felt generally overworked and were not paid in commensurate. Discussions: There is great need to clearly outl Their roles were either complex, multidimensional or both leadership skills.