What Influences Work Engagement Among Registered Nurses: Implications for Evidence‐Based Action
Arlene Pericak, Cameron W. Hogg, Kris Skalsky, Laura Bourdeanu
Abstract
Abstract Background Previous studies evaluating work engagement of nurses revealed work‐related factors and nurse demographics affecting work engagement. Low work engagement yields a decrease in productivity, high turnover, loss of revenue, and, most importantly, patient safety concerns. Aim To investigate the relationship between nurse‐related and work‐related variables associated with work engagement and provide a model that explains work engagement. Method This study employed an observational, cross‐sectional study design, with 201 registered nurses working in acute care hospitals in the United States participating in the study. Four work‐related and five nurse‐related variables were evaluated and used in the work engagement model. A standard multiple regression was performed using the work‐ and nurse‐related factors regressed onto work engagement. Structural equation model procedures were performed to examine the association between predictive variables and work engagement. Results Of the 201 participants, just over a third of the participants were over 50 years of age (33.5%), female (91.6%), married (68%), had a bachelor of science in nursing (58.1%), and have been a nurse <5 years (42.4%). Five of the variables were found to make a unique statistically significant contribution to the variance in work engagement, age ( β = .31, p = .001), workload ( β = .30, p < .001), Core Self‐Evaluation Scale ( β = 0 .22, p = .002), Coping with Change Scale ( β = .20, p = .001), and Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI)‐General Scale score ( β = −.17, p = .03). The work engagement model indicated a satisfactory overall model fit of the model (GFI = .996; χ 2 (2, N = 201) = 4.02, p = .135; RMSEA = .07; CFI = .983; NFI = .976). Linking Evidence to Action The results of this study confirm a work engagement model that incorporates both nurse‐ and work‐related factors. Overall, the results indicate that the level of work engagement is predicted more by nurse‐related factors than by work‐related factors.