The mediating role of psychological well-being on mindfulness and job performance among public hospital-based nurses in Polokwane Local Municipality Area

Abstract

In South Africa, nurses carry the responsibility of providing health care services to all communities. It is, therefore, crucial that the healthcare sector provides quality service to those who need it. Some of the human resources management factors that may help improve quality healthcare service are to ensure the mindfulness and psychological well-being of nurses. These factors may ultimately improve the job performance of the nurses. This study sought to investigate the relationship between mindfulness and job performance: the mediating role of psychological well-being on the relationship between mindfulness and job performance among public hospital-based nurses in Polokwane Local Municipality. The study followed a positivism paradigm. A quantitative approach was employed, using a cross-sectional design. The population of the study comprised 1287 nurses which include, professional and assistant nurses from all three public hospitals in Polokwane Local Municipality. A purposive sampling method was utilised to select the three hospitals. A stratified random sampling method was used to select participants. A minimum recommended sample size of 297 nurses from the two strata of professional nurses and assistant nurses was used. This was determined by the Raosoft sample size calculator. A self-administered questionnaire was used to solicit data. Descriptive statistics was used to describe and summarise the demographic information of respondents and the levels of the nurse’s mindfulness, psychological well-being, and job performance. Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient was used to specify the relationship between mindfulness, psychological well-being, and job performance. A multiple linear regression analysis was also used to determine the prediction between the study variables. Mediated multiple regression analysis was also performed to determine the mediating role of psychological well-being on the relationship between mindfulness and job performance. This analysis was done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26, with Hayes Process add-in software for mediation. The findings reveal there is a relationship between mindfulness and job performance among public hospital-based nurses in Polokwane Local Municipality (r=.393**; p=.000). The regression results further showed that mindfulness does influence job performance β = 1.09, + (298) = 1.09, p = .000. In terms of mediation, the findings showed that psychological well-being does mediate the relationship between mindfulness and job performance among public hospital-based nurses in Polokwane Local Municipality (β = .359, SE = .060, 95% CI = (.228, .465)). It is therefore concluded that psychological wellbeing does play a positive role in the relationship between mindfulness and job performance as it will, even more, enhance job performance among public hospital-based nurses in Polokwane Local Municipality. It is recommended that further research on a similar study should make use of a mixed-methods research design which will help to capture the experiences of respondents in giving more details about their mindfulness and psychological well-being. Questionnaires and in-depth interviews with respondents would gather more specific information.