Work Engagement Among Nurses in Turkish Hospitals: Potential Antecedents and Consequences

Abstract

This research examined potential antecedents and consequences of work engagement in a sample of nurses employed in hospitals in Turkey. .Data were collected from 224 respondents, a 37% percent response rate, using anonymously completed questionnaires. Engagement was assessed by three scales developed by Schaufeli, Salanova,Gonzalez-Roma, and Bakker (2002): Vigor, Dedication and Absorption. Antecedents included personal demographic and work situation characteristics; consequences included measures of work satisfaction, psychological wellbeing, and perceptions of hospital functioning. The following results were observed. First, engagement, particularlydedication, predicted various work outcomes (e.g., job satisfaction, burnout). Second, engagement, particularlyvigor, predicted various psychological well-being outcomes but less strongly than these predicted work outcomes.Third, engagement only predicted one aspect of hospital functioning; nurses reporting higher levels of dedicationalso indicated a higher quality of patient care. Organizations can increase levels of work engagement by creatingsupportive work experiences (e.g., control, rewards and recognition) consistent with effective human resource management practices .But caution must be exercised before employing North American practices in the Turkish context