Abstract
BackgroundWork engagement is affected by many factors. The level of work engagement among dental nurses is unknown.MethodsA cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted among 215 dental nurses. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, Chinese Nurse Stressors Scale, Work-related Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, Multi-dimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, and General Well-Being Schedule were applied to measure Chinese nurses’ work engagement, job stress, psychological flexibility, perceived social support and subjective well-being, respectively. Univariate analysis was used to identify the relationships of work engagement with demographic and psychological characteristics. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was applied to test the variance in work engagement accounted for by factors related to work engagement in the univariate analysis.ResultsThe level of work engagement among Chinese dental nurses was moderate or above. Work engagement was positively associated with perceived social support, psychological flexibility and subjective well-being but negatively correlated with job stress. The hierarchical regression analysis showed that age, job stress, psychological flexibility and subjective well-being were significantly correlated with work engagement, though perceived social support was not, all of those psychological variables together explained 34.7% of the variance in work engagement.ConclusionsDental nurses in China had an acceptable level of work engagement in terms of vigour, dedication and absorption. Increased job stress resulted in lower work engagement. Nurses who had higher levels of perceived social support, psychological flexibility and subjective well-being also had higher work engagement. It is necessary to understand the job stress of nurses, strengthen nurses’ social support, relieve nurses’ job stress, improve nurses’ psychological flexibility and subjective well-being, which will improve nurses’ work engagement levels.
Highlights
Work engagement is affected by many factors
We propose that job stress is negatively associated with work engagement and that psychological flexibility, perceived social support, and subjective well-being are positively associated with work engagement
The demographic data related to work engagement were entered, and psychological variables such as job stress, psychological flexibility, social support and subjective well-being were entered into the regression in the second step. 40–45 years and exercise were significant in step one before the addition of job stress, resilience, social support and subjective well-being variables; after these variables were added in step 2, age, job stress, psychological flexibility and subjective well-being were significantly correlated with work engagement, while perceived social support was not significant
Summary
Work engagement is affected by many factors. The level of work engagement among dental nurses is unknown. Wang et al BMC Oral Health (2021) 21:402 training and continuing education and lacks systematic professional education. The profession of dental nurses, namely dental assistants in other countries, has been set up as a special major in colleges and students are engaged in the work of dental assistants after graduation, dental assistants have received systematic education of oral nursing in colleges. Lacking of teaching experience and shorter time of training will lead to a different teaching effect and learning effect, which may affect the work engagement level of dental nurses. These factors hinder the quality requirements of dental nurses, especially in work engagement
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