Work engagement and associated factors among dental nurses in China

Factors associated with work engagement among specialist nurses in china: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

The positive impacts of work engagement among specialist nurses on retention, organizational commitment, and quality of care are well-documented. However, there is a lack of research on the specific differences in work engagement among specialist nurses. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to assess the level of work engagement among specialist nurses in China and identify its influencing factors.

METHODS

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in China from April to July, 2023, with 724 nurses selected from 22 hospitals through convenience sampling involved. The survey was conducted by using self-administered general information questionnaires and work engagement scales. Questionnaire Star was employed as the online data collection tool. The collected data was analyzed by using descriptive statistics and stepwise regression analysis to draw meaningful conclusions from the study.

RESULTS

Among specialist nurses in Xiamen, China, who had a response rate of 97.10%, an average work engagement score is 140.35 (SD=18.17), with the highest score for the work attitude at 4.65 (SD=0.52) and the lowest score for the work recognition at 4.09 (SD=0.85). It was shown through regression analysis that factors such as career satisfaction, involvement in challenging case discussions, marital status, gender, presence of promotion advantage and title accounted for 14.5% of the total variance in the model and were significant explanatory variables that could predict work engagement.

CONCLUSION

It is shown that specialist nurses in Xiamen, China have a high level of work engagement. It is imperative for nursing managers to prioritize the work engagement of specialist nurses, provide the specialist nurses with ample development opportunities and room for growth, and effectively promote the overall development of specialist nurses by improving work engagement in various aspects.

Resilience, organizational support, and innovative behavior on nurses' work engagement: a moderated mediation analysis

Objectives

To investigate the status of nurses' work engagement and the relationship among resilience, organizational support, and innovative behaviors.

Methods

In this cross-sectional study, we investigated 496 nurses in Hunan, China, from July 2022 to December 2022. A descriptive statistical approach, Pearson's correlation analysis and Hayes' PROCESS Macro Models 4 and 14 were used to analyze the available data.

Results

The level of work engagement among nurses was found to be moderate. Resilience positively predicted work engagement among nurses. Organizational support played a partially mediating role in the association between resilience and work engagement. Furthermore, innovative behavior played a moderating role in the association between adaptive resilience and work engagement.

Conclusion

Based on the results, greater attention needs to be paid to nurses' work engagement. A high level of resilience, organizational support, and innovative behavior may increase work engagement among nurses. Nursing leaders can take measures to increase work engagement among nurses by improving nurses' resilience and organizational support, and cultivating innovative behavior.

Toxic leadership, mental well-being and work engagement among nurses: a scale adaptation study and structural equation model approach

PURPOSE

Although the background on positive and supportive leadership styles and their positive effects is constantly increasing, it is known that negative and destructive leadership styles are less researched. Thus, examining the toxic leadership behaviors of nurse managers and the effects of these on nurses has a critical significance. When the measurement tools evaluating toxic leadership are examined, it is seen that there is a need for measurement tools that evaluate the toxic leadership behaviors of nurse managers. This study's purpose is to psychometrically examine the Turkish version of the Toxic Leadership Behaviors of Nurse Managers (ToxBH-NM-TR) Scale and test the hypothesized conceptual model that includes the relationships between toxic leadership, mental well-being and work engagement.

DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH

This quantitative research was carried out in psychometric, correlational and cross-sectional design. A total of 559 nurses were included in the study by using the convenience sample method. The ToxBH-NM-TR Scale, Warwick-Edinburg Mental Well-Being Scale and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) were used to measure the latent variables of the study. The data were collected between June and October 2020 with the online survey method. IBM SPSS Statistics 24 and Amos 21 statistical programs were used to analyze the data.

FINDINGS

The scale-content validity index of the ToxBH-NM-TR was 0.88. Confirmatory factor analysis results showed that the fit indices were acceptable. The ToxBH-NM-TR had high internal consistency and temporal stability. In addition, the relationships between the latent variables of the study were in the expected direction and statistically significant (p < 0.001). The hypothesized conceptual model showed an acceptable or good fit to the data. Mental well-being partially mediated the relationship between toxic leadership and work engagement. The study showed that the ToxBH-NM-TR is a valid and reliable instrument and provided evidence that confirmed the hypothesized conceptual model.

RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS

The first of these is the fact that managers' toxic leadership behaviors were determined based on nurses' self-report. For this reason, participants' potential prejudices may have affected the results of the study. The second limitation concerns the data collection technique. Using face-to-face data collection techniques during the COVID-19 pandemic could create a danger/risk for the health of nurses, researchers and patients. Therefore, the nurses in this research were reached through an online survey on social media platforms. The participants of the study were limited to those who had access to social media. Finally, some socio-demographic and professional characteristics of the participants may be a confounding variable for the model. For this reason, this conceptual model needs to be validated on other samples in different countries to increase the generalizability of the research results.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS

The characteristics of this leadership style should be understood, and its effects on employees and organizations should be evaluated by screening regularly to prevent the development of toxic leaders and to eliminate the harmful effects of their behavior. The nurses should respond decisively to the forces that cause them to submit in order not to encourage a toxic leadership style. Healthcare institutions should develop procedures and take a proactive approach to destructive and negative leadership behaviors and practices. In addition, nurse managers should get feedback by using informal networks and 360-degree assessment tools and evaluate whether their leadership has a toxic function by regularly screening the effects of their leadership.

ORIGINALITY/VALUE

The results of this study offer important implications for nurses, managers and healthcare institutions and can be useful in gaining awareness about the negative effects of a toxic leadership style. In addition, the study provides a valid and reliable scale that will enable the identification of managers with this leadership style to prevent the development of toxic leaders and eliminate the harmful effects of their behavior.

A multi-center cross-sectional study on identification of influencing factors of medical students' emotional engagement in China

BACKGROUND

Studies exploring influencing factors of emotional engagement among medical students are scarce. Thus, we aimed to identify influencing factors of medical students' emotional engagement.

METHODS

We carried out a multi-center cross-sectional study among 10,901 medical students from 11 universities in China. The Chinese version of Utrecht Work Engagement Scale-Student version (UWES-S) was used to evaluate emotional engagement level of medical students. The predictors related to engagement level were determined by the logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, we constructed a nomogram to predict emotional engagement level of medical students.

RESULTS

A total of 10,576 sample were included in this study. The mean emotional engagement score was 74.61(± 16.21). In the multivariate logistic regression model, we found that males showed higher engagement level compared with females [odds ratio (OR) (95% confidence interval (CI)): 1.263 (1.147, 1.392), P < 0.001]. Medical students from the second batches of medical universities had higher engagement level and from "Project 985" universities had lower engagement level compared with 211 project universities [OR (95%CI): 1.376 (1.093, 1.733), P = 0.007; OR (95%CI): 0.682 (0.535, 0.868), P = 0.002]. Medical students in grade 4 and grade 2 presented lower engagement level compared with in grade 1 [OR (95%CI): 0.860 (0.752, 0.983), P = 0.027; OR (95%CI): 0.861 (0.757, 0.980), P = 0.023]. Medical students lived in provincial capital cities had higher engagement level compared with in country [OR (95%CI): 1.176 (1.022, 1.354), P = 0.024]. Compared with eight-year emotional duration, medical students in other emotional duration (three-year and four-year) had lower engagement level [OR (95%CI): 0.762 (0.628, 0.924), P = 0.006]. Medical students' engagement level increased with increases of grade point average and interest in studying medicine. Medical students learned by converging style showed lower engagement level [OR (95%CI): 0.827 (0.722, 0.946), P = 0.006] compared with accommodating style. The model showed good discriminative ability (area under curve = 0.778), calibrating ability and clinical utility.

CONCLUSIONS

We identified influencing factors of medical students' emotional engagement and developed a nomogram to predict medical students' emotional engagement level, providing reference and convenience for educators to assess and improve emotional engagement level of medical students. It is crucial for educators to pay more attention to emotional engagement of medical students and adopt effective strategies to improve their engagement level.

Professional Nursing Practice Environment and Work Engagement: The Mediating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Achievement Motivation

BACKGROUND

The shortage of nurses is a global problem. Increasing the level of work engagement is known to effectively reduce turnover rate among nursing staff. Strategies to improve work engagement based on the job demands-resources model may effectively improve nurses' job satisfaction and reduce staff turnover.

PURPOSE

A job demands-resources model was used in this study to test the hypothesis that work engagement is affected by both external resources (professional nursing practice environment) and internal resources (self-efficacy and achievement motivation). In addition, the mediating role of self-efficacy and achievement motivation in the relationship between professional nursing practice environment and work engagement was also verified.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey employing a convenience sampling design was implemented. Five hundred fifteen registered nurses were recruited from four tertiary hospitals in Chengdu, China, from January to June 2020. The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Achievement Motive Scale, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale were used to measure the four variables.

RESULTS

The results of the structural equation model showed that the degree of fit for each index model was good, indicating that all of the three variables, including professional nursing practice environment, self-efficacy, and achievement motivation, directly affected work engagement. In addition, the variable professional nursing practice environment was found to indirectly influence work engagement through the partial mediation of self-efficacy and achievement motivation.

CONCLUSIONS

The results may be used to guide health policymakers and nurse managers attempting to enhance the work engagement of nurses by providing a supportive working environment, improving the welfare mechanism, formulating a talent training plan, and fostering appropriate empowerment to improve the working environment, self-efficacy, and motivation in nurses.

Personal and Job-Related Factors Influencing the Work Engagement of Hospital Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study from Saudi Arabia

This study explored the levels of work engagement and identified whether personal and job-related factors influenced the work engagement dimensions of vigor, dedication, and absorption of nurses working in a Saudi hospital. A descriptive, cross-sectional correlational survey of nurses in inpatient wards (general medical, surgical, and specialized wards) and critical care units in a tertiary hospital in Saudi Arabia, using The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Using a self-report questionnaire, 426 staff nurses and 34 first-line nurse managers were surveyed. Data collected consisted of selected personal and professional factors, including gender, age, education, current work setting, years of experience, nationality, and participation in committees, and/or work teams alongside the 17-item version of the UWES. The study participants showed high levels of work engagement. Age, years of experience, and participation in committees were significantly associated with work engagement. Nurses who were older, possessed more experience, and participated in committees showed higher levels of engagement. Healthcare organizations and their leaders, policymakers, and strategic planners should create a conducive work environment that supports the work engagement of nurses by considering the influencing antecedents. The nursing profession, patients' safety issues, and vital economic problems are the fundamental issues facilitated by the creation of practice environments that entirely engage nurses in their work.

Work engagement status of registered nurses in pediatric units in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to evaluate the work engagement status of registered pediatric nurses and its relationship with personal- and work-related variables in selected hospitals. Personal- and work-related factors generally influence work engagement. However, data on work engagement in pediatric clinical practice are limited.

METHODS

This study employed a cross-sectional design, including 230 registered nurses working in pediatric units in Madinah, Saudi Arabia. A non-probability approach (convenience sampling) was adopted in recruiting the sample. Eight personal- and work-related variables were examined using the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale shortened 9-item version.

RESULTS

The overall mean scale score was 4.54 (standard deviation = 0.95). The dedication subscale showed the highest mean score (4.84), followed by the absorption (4.48) and vigor subscales (4.29). A higher work engagement score was associated with an older age (H = 17.892; p < 0.001), a non-Saudi nationality (Z = 5.724; p < 0.001), a higher educational level (Z = 3.178; p = 0.001), and a long duration of experience (>10 years) (H = 18.435; p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between the total scale score according to marital status (p = 0.077), current working unit (p = 0.063), and current working hours (p = 0.067).

CONCLUSIONS

Among registered pediatric nurses, work engagement is relatively high but is average in terms of the vigor component. To our knowledge, this research is the first to explore how work environment affects work engagement among pediatric nurses in Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Working Conditions Among Chinese Nurses Employed in Japan: A Cross-Sectional Survey-Based Study

Introduction

Although the number of Chinese nurses employed in Japan is increasing, the situation regarding their work conditions has not been clarified. It is necessary to understand such conditions to consider support for Chinese nurses in Japan.

Objective

This study examined the professional nursing practice environment, occupational career, and work engagement of Chinese nurses in Japan.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional study design, 640 paper questionnaires were mailed to 58 Japanese hospitals that employed Chinese nurses and included a QR code for online responses. A survey request form and URL were sent to the Wechat app, where Chinese nurses in Japan communicate. The contents include attribute-related questions, the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI), Occupational Career Scale, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Either Wilcoxon's rank-sum or the Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to compare scores of the study variables between subgroups.

Results

A total of 199 valid responses were obtained, of which 92.5% were female, and 69.3% had a university degree or higher. The PES-NWI score was 2.74, and the work engagement score was 3.10. The group with a university degree or higher had significantly lower scores on PES-NWI and work engagement than those with diplomas. Regarding the subscale of occupational career, scores of forming and coordinating interpersonal relationships, self-development, and accumulating a variety of experience were 3.80, 2.58, and 2.71, respectively. The scores were significantly higher with more than 6 years of nursing experience in Japan than those with 0-3 years or 3-6 years.

Conclusion

Most participants had university degrees or higher, and their scores of PES-NWI and work engagement tended to be lower than those with diploma degrees. Participants showed low self-ratings in self-development and lacked a variety of experience. Understanding Chinese nurses' work conditions in Japan enables hospital administrators to develop measures for continuing education and support.

The Role of Staff-Assessed Care Quality in the Relationship between Job Demands and Stress in Human Service Work: The Example of Dentistry

The aim of this study was to investigate staff-assessed care quality at the clinic as a predictor of stress and as a moderator between job demands (quantitative demands and role conflict) and stress among dental professionals as an example of human service workers. Cross-sectional questionnaire data from 1012 dental professionals (i.e., dentists, dental hygienists and dental nurses) working at 99 clinics were analysed by confirmatory factor analysis and a two-level hierarchical linear model. Stress, quantitative demands and role conflict were measured by the Swedish standard version of COPSOQ III and care quality was measured by three proprietary items. The results showed that staff-assessed care quality at the clinic was of importance for the individual workers' experiences of stress. Furthermore, the staff's joint assessment of the care quality at the clinic mitigated the negative effect of role conflict on stress among dental nurses. These results indicate that a high level of staff-assessed care quality at the clinic can contribute to reduced stress in dental professionals.

The mediating effects of adversity quotient and self-efficacy on ICU nurses' organizational climate and work engagement

AIM

This study aimed to explore the mediating effects of adversity quotient and the moderating effect of self-efficacy on the relationship between the organizational climate and the work engagement of intensive care unit nurses.

BACKGROUND

A good organizational climate can contribute to a high level of work engagement. Adversity quotient and self-efficacy are the key factors affecting nurses' work engagement, while the mechanism of these factors in the organizational climate and work engagement remains unclear. This study was conducted to contribute to the relevant field research.

METHODS

The study used a cross-sectional research design and surveyed 323 intensive care unit nurses working in a public hospital in China. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods: Pearson correlation analysis and PROCESS macro Model 7 in the regression analysis.

RESULTS

Organizational climate was positively correlated with work engagement and adversity quotient. The indirect effect of organizational climate on work engagement through adversity quotient was positive. Furthermore, self-efficacy moderated the relationship between the two factors.

CONCLUSION

Cultivating organizational climate and adversity quotients is an important strategy to improve the work engagement of intensive care unit nurses, particularly for nurses with high self-efficacy.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

Administrators should make efforts to create a good organizational climate and cultivate nurses' adversity quotients and self-efficacy to decrease their intent to leave.

The influence of professional identity on work engagement among nurses working in nursing homes in China

AIM

To assess the influence of professional identity on work engagement among nurses working in nursing homes in China.

BACKGROUND

China is faced with an increasingly ageing population. There is a shortage of adequately trained nursing personnel and a high turnover rate among nurses. Work engagement is a key factor in improving nurses' performance and improving professional identity is critical to increase work productivity and satisfaction.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 272 nurses working in nursing homes. And the data were analysed by descriptive analyses, univariate analysis and Multiple regression analyses.

RESULTS

The overall average work engagement score was 3.99 ± 1.04. Professional identity was the only factor that significantly influenced the 'vigour' and 'absorption' of nurses. Age, ethnicity and professional identity were significant predictors of 'dedication'.

CONCLUSIONS

A positive professional identity can lead to a better work engagement among nurses working in nursing homes in China.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

To enhance the work engagement of nurses working in nursing homes, nursing leaders should create a respectful and equal work environment, create a favourable image of the industry and the profession and strengthen training to improve the professional identity.