Factors affecting holistic motivation among registered nurses and its impact on nursing care quality in Jamaica: an integration of the Expectancy Theory of Motivation

Holistic motivation in nursing is an approach that considers the entire person - physical, emotional, social, and spiritual well-being - to promote a more comprehensive and effective healing experience. Motivation is a important factor for nurses to improve the quality of nursing care and maintain professional competencies in clinical practice. However, many nurses focus primarily on physical factors that promote motivation, neglecting spiritual, psychological, and social aspects. This study aimed to assess the factors that influence holistic motivation among registered nurses in Jamaica, in order to deliver high-quality nursing care. A cross-sectional design was employed to achieve the study objective, guided by the Expectancy Theory of Motivation. A total of 56 clinical nurses from health facilities in Kingston and St. Andrew, Jamaica, participated in the study. A self-administered questionnaire on work motivation was used to collect data, which was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Chi-Square, and binary regression. The significance level was set at 0.05 for hypothesis testing. The findings indicated that 66% of nurses were motivated to continue practicing nursing. However, 42.9% of respondents reported that their mental health and motivation were impacted by their work status, high workload, challenging work environment, patients' attitudes, lack of essential resources, staff shortage, and limited welfare activities. Additionally, 31.5% of nurses expressed that their work status and motivation affected their spiritual activities. Although the majority of participants reported feeling motivated, factors determining holistic motivation varied among individuals. Future studies should address this holistic motivation to enhance patient care and outcomes in nursing practice. Keywords: Expectancy theory of motivation, holistic care, nursing practice, patient-centered care, quality of care