Abstract:
Children with disabilities are rehabilitated by dedicated professionals. Rehabilitation
professionals in rural areas are challenged by a lack of resources often in the form of budgetary
constraints and a shortage of transport. Healthcare professionals are thus unable to provide
quality health services leading to low staff morale and burnout. This study explores factors that
negatively affect rehabilitation professionals’ work ethic and morale in an under-resourced rural
hospital, in Limpopo Province, South Africa. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive approach
was used. Data were collected in individual face-to-face interviews with eight rehabilitation
professionals at Nkhensani Hospital. The participants comprised staff members from the
physiotherapy department (n=2), occupational therapy department (n=5), and nursing department
(n=1). Eight themes emerged as factors that negatively affect rehabilitation professionals’ work
ethic and morale including (1) Managerial support, (2) Budgetary constraints, (3) Commitment
and compliance of caregivers, (4) Results, (5) Commitment of colleagues, (6) Workload, (7)
Working far from home and (8) Learning opportunities. Rehabilitation professionals were
influenced by the management style of hospital managers, lack of financial resources to sustain
the workplace and the conduct of caregivers of children with disabilities. The minimal workload
was perceived to discourage staff morale. Financial compensation was not seen to be a factor that
positively improved staff morale. We recommend that hospital managers should avail themselves
to listen to their staff members and should introduce non-financial strategies to boost staff
morale. Lastly, rehabilitation professionals should be allocated in other clinical departments on a
rotational basis to reduce burnout and prevent boredom.
