%0 Journal Article
%T Iranian staff nurses' views of their productivity and human resource factors improving and impeding it: a qualitative study
%A Nahid Nayeri
%A Ali Nazari
%A Mahvash Salsali
%A Fazlollah Ahmadi
%J Human Resources for Health
%D 2005
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1478-4491-3-9
%X A qualitative approach was used to obtain rich data; open, semi-structured interviews were also conducted. The sampling was based on the maximum variant approach; data analysis was carried out by content analysis, with the constant comparative method.Participants indicated that human resources issues are the most important factor in promoting or impeding their productivity. They suggested that the factors influencing effectiveness of human resource elements include: systematic evaluation of staff numbers; a sound selection process based on verifiable criteria; provision of an adequate staffing level throughout the year; full involvement of the ward sister in the process of admitting patients; and sound communication within the care team. Paying attention to these factors creates a suitable background for improved productivity and decreases negative impacts of human resource shortages, whereas ignoring or interfering with them would result in lowering of nurses' productivity.Participants maintained that satisfactory human resources can improve nurses' productivity and the quality of care they provide; thereby fulfilling the core objective of the health care system.In most health care organizations, nurses are the largest work group and play a major role in the organization's success. Hence nurses' productivity affects an organization's success by influencing organizational total factor productivity (TFP) [1]. Health care organizations cannot succeed without productive nursing staff [2]. But recent studies suggest that nurses no longer feel their work is valued and are concerned with their productivity [3].Although nurses are concerned about declining levels of effective care and productivity [4], staff productivity rarely has been assessed within the health care organization of Iran and little is known about factors that affect nurses' productivity. The complexity associated with the impact of human resources on nurses' productivity is one of the factors least studie
%U http://www.human-resources-health.com/content/3/1/9