A conceptual model to retain non-professionals in a private healthcare setting

Abstract

Background: Non-professionals are carriers of institutional knowledge and are essential to the effective functioning of healthcare institutions. However, most studies on retention in the healthcare environment focus on professionals.

Objective: The aim of this study was to develop a conceptual model pertaining to the retention of non-professionals in the healthcare sector.

Methods: A total of 72 non-professional and, for the purpose of contract, 116 professional employees were surveyed. The independent variables were job characteristics, job satisfaction and career anchors. The dependent variables were organisational commitment and intention to quit. The analysis focused on the way the independent variables correlated with the dependent variables.

Results: It was possible to identify individual elements in the independent variables that relate to the dependent variables. It was thus possible to extrapolate and develop a conceptual model for the retention of non-professionals in the healthcare sector. The results also revealed that, for the professionals, the independent variables were less effective in predicting retention.

Conclusion: A retention strategy that focuses on the specific variables could be effective for the retention of non-professionals. Also, the independent variables used in this study do not predict retention in the professional group. It may thus be necessary to address retention for non-professionals and professionals in the healthcare sector differently.