Comparative Study of Disruptive Behaviors Among Nurses in Public and Private Healthcare Institutions in The Greater Accra Region, Ghana

Abstract

Nurses are the single group of healthcare professionals who are in closest proximity to patient care and as such, their behavior patterns greatly affect patient health outcomes. It is perceived that nurses in public healthcare institutions behave more disruptively, as compared to nurses in private healthcare institutions, who are perceived to be assertive. This study was aimed at comparing disruptive behaviors among nurses in private and public healthcare institutions in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. Using a Cross-Sectional Survey approach, a total of 210 nurses were randomly sampled from six (two public and four private hospitals) purposively identified healthcare institutions. A total of twenty-eight behavior patterns were incorporated into a 36 item close ended questionnaire for data collection. The study revealed the presence of 23(82.14%) of the disruptive behaviors among private sector nurses, with public sector nurses exhibiting 22(78.57%) of the disruptive behavior patterns. Further tests revealed that irrespective of the fact that nurses are largely disruptive, nurses in private healthcare institutions are relatively more disruptive (85%), contrary to the general perception. The study revealed a relationship between educational qualification of nurses and all the 28 behavior patterns which were examined. Further, a positive relationship was identified between educational qualification and majority (78.57%) of the behavior patterns. In order to help curb the menace or disruptive behaviors while promoting assertiveness among nurses, the study recommended including disruptive behavior lessons in the curricula for nursing education, continuous professional development at all levels of nursing practice, prioritizing nurse behavior by health managers, instituting awards, coaching and mentorship schemes and better regulation of private hospitals.