Abstract

Nurse productivity is a critical determinant of healthcare quality and system efficiency, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where public health facilities operate under significant resource constraints. In Ghana, persistent concerns regarding service delivery inefficiencies have drawn attention to organizational factors that shape nurses’ performance. Among these factors, power relations, interpersonal trust, and workplace politics remain underexplored within the nursing context. This study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional survey design grounded in the positivist research paradigm. Data were collected from 123 nurses working in public health facilities within the Effutu Municipality of Ghana. Standardized, validated questionnaires were used to measure power, trust, workplace politics, and nurse productivity. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS, employing correlation and hierarchical regression analyses to test direct and mediating relationships among the study variables. The findings revealed that both power and trust significantly influenced nurse productivity. Trust demonstrated a positive relationship with productivity, while power exhibited a negative association when perceived as domineering. Workplace politics was found to significantly mediate the relationships between power, trust, and nurse productivity, indicating that political behaviors within healthcare institutions can either amplify or undermine performance outcomes. The study highlights the central role of organizational dynamics in shaping nurse productivity within Ghana’s public health sector. Strengthening trust-based leadership, clarifying power structures, and minimizing dysfunctional workplace politics are essential for improving nurse performance and healthcare delivery outcomes.