Improving nurses’ performance through remuneration: a literature review

Background: A remuneration system greatly influences the quality of nursing care and services. Objective: The goal of this study was to identify the effects of a remuneration system on nurses’ performance. Design: This research used a literature review design and involved the analysis of 25 articles published in the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Global Health databases. The literature was limited to articles published in English between August 2006 and August 2015. Results: The results of this study indicate that the improvement of remuneration systems has positive consequences in terms of nurses’ performance and subsequent quality of healthcare services. A well-managed remuneration system has the potential to increase nurses’ motivation, productivity, satisfaction, and even improve retention. In contrast, poorly managed and low remuneration contributes to a shortage of nurses due to high turnover rates. Conclusions: Adequate remuneration has been shown to improve nurses’ performance and, consequently, improve the quality of healthcare. This literature review provides scientific evidence for decision-makers to consider the implementation of remuneration systems that include credentialing, re-credentialing, and career ladders. Future studies are suggested to investigate the development of well-managed remuneration systems for nurses.