Spirit at work and hope among the ruins: registered nurses' covenant of care

Aim: To explore registered nurses' (RNs) perspectives about the health care system, management/leadership, patients and spirit at work (SAW).

Background: Researchers investigating RNs experiences of reduced job satisfaction and diminishing organisational commitment are looking carefully at spirit at work as a means to foster healthier workplaces.

Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional mixed methods design was used to measure and explore the relationships between spirit at work, job satisfaction and organisational commitment. A 2012 postal survey sent by the provincial licensing body to a random sample of 217 surgical and 158 home care registered nurses' in western Canada returned 179 surveys. Seventy-five respondents answered the open-ended survey question. Their responses warrant further content analysis and serve as the foundation of this article.

Results: Participants noted that organisational structures and policies, combined with unsupportive leadership, were associated with a reduced sense of community, lack of trust and diminished accountability.

Conclusion: Spirit at work was described as sustaining registered nurses' and providing them with hope as they fulfilled their covenant of care with patients.

Implications for nursing management: Leadership attention to the advancement of SAW may support the covenant of care between the registered nurses and patient while fostering healthier workplaces.