There is increasing attention to nursing workforce
issues such as recruitment, retention, turnover,
workplace health and safety issues and their
impact on quality patient care. A number of these
problems have been linked to poor morale. While
there has been a lack of consensus on the
determinants of morale, it is clear that the outcomes
of poor morale not only add considerable
cost to the organisation but also impact negatively
on patient care. This article provides a systematic
overview of the literature surrounding nursing
morale and the variables identified in the literature
that impact upon morale, and discusses the implications for future research.