Factors That Affect Staff Morale in Tertiary Hospitals in Malawi: A Case Study of Kamuzu Central Hospital

Staff morale is low among medical and nursing staff in Malawi’s health facilities. This leads to voluntary attrition or unfavorable survival strategies among members of staff. This study sought to determine critical factors that affected staff morale at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH). This was a case study research design. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires filled in by doctors, registered nurses and clinical officers. Qualitative data were collected through focus group discussions with the same cadres. An in-depth interview was done with one human resource officer. Key factors that affected staff morale at KCH were: inadequate resources for work, poor compensation, heavy workload, inadequate performance management, lack of career development and lack of training opportunities. Nurses further complained of inadequate management support. Thirty-one percent of the respondents were very dissatisfied with their jobs and 57% were intending to leave within 12 months. Job satisfaction was associated with management responsiveness (p-value 0.009).