Abstract
BACKGROUND: The South African public is not satisfied with the level of healthcare rendered by South African health institutions, particularly in Gauteng province; this is evidenced by the concerns raised by the South African Health Ombudsman, who, as of 2021, received more than 2000 complaints from the public, of which 40% were from Gauteng province. This is supported by South African Nursing Council (SANC)'s unprofessional report, which reflected the increase in poor nursing care cases. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the study were to identify the factors contributing to the quality of nursing care at the provincial hospitals of Gauteng province and to make recommendations for improving the quality of nursing care in hospitals. METHOD: The study utilised an exploratory descriptive qualitative design. The data were analysed following Colaizzi's steps of data analysis, during which 4 themes and 9 sub-themes emerged. The study population consisted of registered professional nurses working in the two hospitals. The sample consisted of 12 registered professional nurses. RESULTS: The study identified three positive factors, namely, nursing as a calling, supervision rounds and staff appreciation. Six negative factors that contribute to the quality of nursing care were identified as the lack of human and material resources, administrative challenges, unsupportive management, nurse-related factors, attitudes of patients, and private versus public health institutions. CONCLUSION: The study revealed the positive factors that promote the quality of nursing care. The negative factors affecting the quality of nursing care were found to be more than the positive factors.Contribution: The study presented factors affecting the quality of nursing care and makes recommendations that can be utilised as basis for improving the quality of nursing care. The study findings and recommendations can be used to develop programmes to support nurses to provide dignified and quality patient care in the hospital.