ABSTRACT
The emotional well-being of nurses working in a multi-skill setting may be negatively influenced by their challenging work environment. A qualitative; explorative; descriptive and contextual study was conducted to investigate this phenomenon. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the experience; as well as perceptions of coping mechanisms; of nurses working in the multi-skill setting; and to formulate recommendations to promote their emotional well-being. The population consisted of nurses working in a multi-skill setting (a Level-2 hospital) and included professional nurses; enrolled nurses and nurse assistants. An all-inclusive sample was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with three professional nurses; six enrolled nurses and one nurse assistant. These interviews were analysed according to the method described by Creswell (2003:192). The findings indicated that nurses have positive as well as negative experiences of the multi-skill setup. They cope by means of prioritising tasks; faith; self-motivation and mutual support. They also made suggestions for the promotion of their emotional well-being; on personal as well as managerial levels. Recommendations for further research; nurse education and practice were formulated. Recommendations for practice include 'on-the-spot' in-service training; appropriate task allocation; clearly defined scope of practice; time for rest and debriefing; strengthened relationships with management; promotion of strengths and creating a support system