Motivation and retention of primary healthcare workers in rural health facilities: An exploratory qualitative study of Chipata and Chadiza Districts, Zambia

Figures & data

Table 1. Distribution of health facility types.

Type of facility	District
	Chipata	Chadiza
Rural Health Centers	5	6
Rural Health Posts	4	3
Total rural facilities	9	9

Table 2. Categories of healthcare workers.

Categories of healthcare workers	Number of participants
Managerial health workers
District Medical Health Office	2
Nursing officer	3
Registered nurse	3
Public health officer	2
Total	10
Frontline health workers
General nurses	2
Enrolled nurses	4
Midwives	3
Psychiatric nurse	1
Biomedical technician	2
Environmental health technician	4
Total	18
Total participants	28

Table 3. Factors affecting motivation and retention of rural primary health workers.

Main themes	Sub-themes − 1	Sub-themes – 2
Professional development	Career advancement	Flexible professional advancement program Easy to upgrade qualifications Prioritized for human resource development opportunities
	Opportunities for attending workshops	Short -term trainings through workshops and seminars Certificate for acquiring new skills Networking and creating partnerships Financial allowances provided for attendance
Work environment	Stimulating tasks	Passion for service to rural communities Learning to handle complex health conditions Exploring innovative ways of providing health services to rural communities Providing services in limited resource areas with vast healthcare needs
	Promotion opportunities	Easily ascend to leadership positions Enhanced delegation, and general management skills
	Co-workers’ recognition and supportive relationships	Recognition of efforts by the district health office and facility leadership Strong/dependable co-worker relationships within and outside the facilities
Rural community dynamics	Reduced cost of living	Low cost of living in rural areas allows for saving Cheaper to borrow among fellow co-workers than from an institution
	Community recognition and support	Recognition and respect from rural communities Primary health workers are held in high esteem Power to preside over health and community issues
	Easy access to farmland for economic and consumption purposes	Opportunity to own larger portions of land Owning a farm helps to grow food for sale and consumption

Data availability statement

The datasets during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.