Factors motivating doctors and nurses at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital

Abstract

People occupy a very important place in every meaningful organization. Thaw (2002) has pointed out that without people there is no organization. This therefore requires that personnel be motivated enough to enable relevant organizations achieve their goals. As a result of poor motivation packages, the health sector in Ghana, for example, has recorded a decline in the number of skilled personnel in some metropolis (Ministry of Health, 2014). According to the 2014 annual report of the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital, 17 nurses and 6 doctors vacated their posts from 2010 to 2013, thereby worsening the already limited staffing strength. The purpose of the study was to find out the various factors influencing worker motivation at the Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. A descriptive study design was used in this study. The study used both close and open ended structured questionnaire to collect data on motivation from respondents. In all, 131 out of a study population of 277 partook in the study. Data analysis was done with SPSS Version 21.0. Results were presented using graphs, tables and pie chart. While 45.8% of respondents said that they remained in the metropolis because there are prospects for career development, 44.3% said the presence of schools were motivating factors to stay and work in Cape Coast. It is recommended that, since academic pursuits remain the major motivating factor among medical and nursing staff of the hospital, a more friendly policy on further studies must be implemented. Such a policy must consider certificates from studies without leave.