Influence of Financial Rewards on Job Retention among Critical Care Nurses in Selected Public and Private Hospitals in Kenya
Abstract
Critical care nursing is a pivotal element in the provision of healthcare services. The presence of proficient critical care nurses is fundamental to achieving optimal patient outcomes. Nevertheless, most public and private hospitals in Kenya often face difficulties retaining qualified critical care nurses. These challenges have been attributed to many factors, chief among them being poor financial compensation. Therefore, this study assessed the influence of financial rewards on nurse retention in selected public and private hospitals in Kenya. The study focused on two prominent healthcare facilities: Tenwek Hospital, a private level six hospital in Bomet County, and Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Uasin Gishu County. It adopted a descriptive survey research design. The target population comprised 149 critical care nurses from the two hospitals. A census sampling approach was utilised due to the relatively small population size of 149 critical care nurses. The data for the study was collected using a structured questionnaire, whose response rate was 89.3% (133 questionnaires). Descriptive statistics, including frequencies, percentages and mean scores, were generated on the collected data using SPSS Version 28. Inferential statistics were used to examine the relationship between financial compensation and retention of critical care nurses. From the findings, financial rewards demonstrated a strong positive correlation with job retention (r = 0.920, p < 0.01), highlighting that adequate compensation plays a crucial role in influencing a nurse’s decision to remain in their current role. Therefore, financial incentives such as competitive salaries and bonuses significantly motivated nurses to stay. Based on these conclusions, the study recommends that hospitals review and improve their compensation packages, incorporating regular salary reviews and performance-based incentives to boost retention.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Joanne Jeptoo Laboso, Vincent Kiprono Mukthar, Elijah Nyangena
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