Assessing the Impact of Human Resource Shortages on Patient Care: Perspectives of Registered Nurses in a Gauteng Public Hospital, South Africa

Background: In South Africa, the healthcare system is facing a critical challenge of the shortage of human resources. This challenge, deeply rooted in various socioeconomic and political factors, significantly impacts the quality of patient care in public hospitals. Unfortunately, there was also a significant mortality rate among healthcare workers due to COVID‐19, which further exacerbated the human resource crisis in the health sector. Aim: The paper aimed to understand the impact of the healthcare worker shortage on quality patient care in a selected public hospital in the Ekurhuleni District. Setting: The study was conducted at a selected public hospital in the Ekurhuleni district, Gauteng province. Methods: This study used qualitative explorative descriptive and contextual research design with a purposive sampling method. A total of 12 registered nurses participated in the data collection process until data saturation was reached. This study used an in‐depth interview to collect data. The study also made use of Tesch’s eight‐step data analysis method. Results: The data collection emerged with three categories, namely, resource shortage, factors affecting quality of care, and impact on quality patient care and nursing staff. The findings revealed key challenges contributing to human resource shortage including limited training outcomes, financial constraints, migration of healthcare workers outside the country, burnout, high turnover, and stressful working environments. Conclusion: The study implied that the shortage of human resources does not only affect the quality of care provided but also affects the healthcare system at large as this shows gaps and areas that need to be improved to meet the needs of the population. There is a need for the hospital and the Department of Health to address the shortage of nursing staff and provide adequate resources such as machinery, funding, and medication to improve the quality of care rendered to patients.