title: Factors affecting the performance of professional nurses in Namibia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Professional nurses play a vital role in the provision of health care globally. The performance of health care workers, including professional nurses, link closely to the productivity and quality of care provision within health care organisations. It was important to identify factors influencing the performance of professional nurses if the quality of health care delivery was to improved.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to identify factors affecting the performance of professional nurses in Namibia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A quantitative, descriptive survey was used to collect data by means of a questionnaire. A random sample of 180 professional nurses was selected from six hospitals in three regions of Namibia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Factors affecting the performance of nurses negatively were identified such as: lack of recognition of employees who are performing well, quality performance outcomes and an absence of a formal performance appraisal system and poor working conditions. Various factors contribute to both the positive and negative performance of professional nurses in Namibia. Strategies were developed for addressing the negative factors that could positively affect the performance of professional nurses in Namibia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study emphasises the importance of developing strategies to promote the performance of nurses; build knowledge and expertise; develop mechanisms for improving the performance of nurses; expand leadership and management capacity; and generate information and knowledge through research.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Studies, University of South Africa. roosjh@unisa.ac.za.
authors.forename: Magdalene H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Awases
authors.forename: Marthie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bezuidenhout
authors.forename: Janetta H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Roos
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007857:Leadership; D009276:Namibia; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires