Investigation of nurses with various ages on the work engagement

Abstract

Objective To study the status of work engagement such as the level and the difference of registered nurses with various ages in order to provide theory and practice guidances for effectively incentive their initiative.Methods Totals of 746 nurses in the Production and Construction Corps of Xinjiang were investigated with the self-designed general situation questionnaire and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES).Results The mean value of work engagement among nurses was (3.263 ± 1.097 ).Nurses' work engagement and each dimension were positively correlated with ages (r =0.142,0.126,0.09,0.173,respectively; P ＜ 0.05 ).There was significant difference in the dimension of work engagement,vigor,dedication,and absorption among nurses of different age groups ( F =4.169,3.728,2.316,5.756,respectively ; P ＜ 0.05 ).The average score of work engagement and the dimensions of dedication,absorption in 41- 45 age group and≥46 age group,was significantly different from other groups ( P ＜ 0.05 ),and the average score of vigor dimension in the age group of ≤25,41- 45 and ≥46 was significantly different from other groups(P ＜0.05),as well as the different between ≤25 age group and age group of 41-45,≥46( P =0.014),while the difference between the age group of 41-45 and ≥46 was not statistically significant( P =0.128 ).Conclusions The level of work engagement in nurses is the moderate,and the vigor dimension score is lower than the others.With the age increasing,score of the nurses' work engagement and dedication and absorption is higher gradually,and the vigor emerging show low middle and high side. Key words: Nurses; Age group; Questionnaire; Work engagement