Nurses’ work engagement and its impact on the job outcomes

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Work engagement has emerged as a key tool for ensuring patient safety and care quality. This study aimed to examine nurses’ perception of work engagement, to identify factors influencing nurses’ engagement with their work and to determine factors predicting job performance and turnover intention in multiple hospitals. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 535 nurses from three hospitals with different affiliation types in Minia, Egypt in a period from December 2018 to Jan 2019 who answered Utrecht work engagement scale (UWES-9), Job resources, job performance and Turnover intention questionnaire. Results: The composite mean of work engagement was 4.4 (SD 1.3). About 54% of nurses reported high/very high work engagement levels. Work place, availability of motives and incentives and ability to make decisions (autonomy) were significant predictor of high work engagement levels among nurses. Work engagement accounted for a significant increment in explained variance in job performance and turnover intention (ß = 0.14 and −0.41) respectively. Conclusion and Recommendations: More than half of nurses are dedicated to their work. It is necessary for them to have the needed resources, supportive environments, and performance feedback in order to balance between work demands and the feeling of ‘fulfillment' and reduced turnover rates.