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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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