Determinants of High Staff Turnover at Karanda Mission Hospital in Mount Darwin, 2022

Abstract

The volatile economic environment in Zimbabwe has significantly affected the way health institutions are managed in the country. Zimbabwean economy is being characterized by hyper-inflation, high interest rates, high import tariffs and inabilities to retain talented and skilled labor. Retention of health care workers has caused a significant problem to the health care delivery system of Zimbabwe. It is under this background of high staff turnover of health care workers in various health care facilities in Zimbabwe were the researcher intended to carry out a study. The study was carried out at Karanda Mission Hospital in Mount Darwin District of Mashonaland Central province in Zimbabwe because the institution has been facing a high staff turnover in recent years. The frequent turnover of staff at Karanda Mission Hospital affected the institution in number of ways including; increased workload on the remaining staff, increased training costs and effects on daily workflow (patient care), staff morale and overall productivity of the institution. On the study site staff turnover seemed to be high. For the past three years ago, the trend of staff turnover has been increasing at Karanda Mission Hospital and this has prompted me to carry out the study. The study aimed to identify determinants of high staff turnover at Karanda Mission Hospital in Mount Darwin for the period 2020 to 2022 and propose possible solutions to address them. A convenience of 30 participants were engaged through the distribution of questionnaires to 2 doctors, 14 nurses, 2 paramedical staff, 8 auxiliary, 2 clerical and 2 managerial staff . This study was aimed to explore the factors causing high staff turnover at Karanda Mission Hospital and effects induced as a result of this phenomenon. Qualitative research method was used in this study. The findings reviewed that high staff turnover was caused by poor accommodation, geographical location, financial benefits from the institution, poor working conditions, family issues and job opportunities in foreign land. Based on the findings, several recommendations were proposed to address the problem, including improving working conditions, improving accommodation, revising the financial benefits, provide career growth opportunities and reducing workload. Additionally, the study proposes the development policies and procedures that foster culture of respect, recognition, and appreciation for the contributions of staff members. The findings were presented through tables, figures and pie charts. Ethical rights were observed throughout the study through seeking permission from the responsible authorities of the study site, seeking permission from the Africa University Research Ethics Committee (AUREC) and use of informed consent forms to all participants. Recommendations were provided to reduce if not to end the problem of high staff turnover at the institution.