Relationship Between Work Engagement, Psychosocial Risks, and Mental Health Among Spanish Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Current status and influencing factors of nurses' work engagement in Chinese tertiary hospitals: A latent profile analysis

BACKGROUND

Work engagement is a work-related state of mind full of positivity and vigor. Understanding the current status and influencing factors of nurses' work engagement is essential for improving the quality of nursing services and stabilizing the nursing workforce building. This study aimed to explore the potential categories of nurses' work engagement and their influencing factors and provide a reference basis for developing targeted interventions to improve their work engagement.

METHODS

From March to April 2024, 1,919 nurses from 12 tertiary hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, were enrolled in the study using convenience sampling. A demographic profile questionnaire, work engagement scale, and professional mission scale were used to investigate them. Latent profile analysis was used to explore the categories of nurses' work engagement, and unordered multicategorical logistic regression was used to analyze the influencing factors of each category.

RESULTS

Nurses' work engagement could be categorized into three potential profiles: low work engagement group (n = 659, 34.3%), medium work engagement group (n = 763, 39.8%), and high work engagement group (n = 497, 25.9%). The unordered multi-categorical logistic regression results showed that marital status, reasons for choosing a nursing specialty, self-rated sleep quality, current work intensity, and sense of professional mission were influential factors affecting the potential profile of work engagement among nurses in tertiary care hospitals. Among them, unmarried nurses were more likely to belong to the low work engagement group; those who chose nursing specialties based on personal interest were more likely to belong to the medium work engagement group; those with medium work intensity were more likely to belong to the high work engagement group; and those with good self-assessed sleep quality and higher scores of sense of professional mission were more likely to belong to the medium and high work engagement groups.

CONCLUSION

The potential profiles of nurses' work engagement in Chinese tertiary hospitals were dominated by the medium and low work engagement groups, with significant heterogeneity. Nursing managers should tailor interventions to enhance nurses' sense of professional mission according to the characteristics of each type of nurse work engagement, thereby improving work engagement and nursing service quality.

Cross-cultural adaptation, reliability, and validity of the Italian version of the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) Index in subjects with rotator cuff diseases

PURPOSE

The Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) Index is a disease-specific, recommended tool to investigate the quality of life in subjects with rotator cuff (RC) disorders and tears. The purpose of this study was to deeply assess the psychometric properties of the WORC Index in patients with RC disorders and repair.

METHODS

The WORC Index was translated and cross-culturally adapted into Italian according to international guidelines and administered to 149 subjects with RC disorders or repair. Subjects completed the WORC Index, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES), the Short-Form Health Survey 36 (SF-36), and the Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was run to investigate the structural validity. Internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha), test-retest reliability (Intraclass Correlation coefficient [ICC]), measurement error (Standard Error of Measurement [SEM], Minimum Detectable Change [MDC95]), and construct validity (a-priori hypothesis testing with the correlation with the other outcome measures) were also assessed.

RESULTS

After addressing local item dependency, the final CFA confirmed a five-subscale structure (RMSEA = 0.059; SRMSR = 0.04; CFI = 0.969; TLI = 0.958). Cronbach's alpha ranged from 0.843 to 0.933. The test-retest reliability was excellent (ICC ranged from 0.873 to 0.929). SEM ranged from 6.1 to 9.9 points, and MCD95 varied from 17 to 27.4 points. Construct validity was considered satisfactory for all subscales.

CONCLUSION

The Italian version of the WORC Index demonstrated validity and reliability in assessing subjects with RC disorders and repair. It is recommended for use in clinical practice and research.

Between Clicks and Care: Investigating Social Media Addiction and Work Engagement Among Nurses in Saudi Arabia

Background/Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between social media networking addiction (SMNA) and work engagement (WE) among nurses at a government hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as well as to assess the overall levels of SMNA and WE within this population. Methods: A quantitative, correlational, cross-sectional design was employed with an online survey instrument, involving 283 nurses from the government hospital. The data were analyzed using SPSS software version 26. Results: Nurses exhibited low levels of SMNA and average levels of WE. A negative relationship was identified between SMNA and WE. Conclusions: The findings indicate that SMNA influences various dimensions of WE differently. A significant negative relationship was observed between SMNA and the dimensions of vigor, absorption, and overall WE. However, SMNA did not significantly impact the dedication dimension, which emerged as the highest-scoring aspect among nursing professionals. Therefore, this study recommends raising awareness among nurses regarding the detrimental impact that excessive social media usage can have on their professional responsibilities and mental health, the implementation of clear social media usage guidelines, regular assessment of the trends in social media usage among nurses and the introduction of educational programs to raise awareness and promote responsible usage.

The mediating effect of character strengths on the relationship between clinical nurses' mental health literacy and work engagement

BACKGROUND

As the main force of clinical work, nurses' work engagement level will directly affect nursing quality. A high level of work engagement helps to improve nurses' work performance, quality of nursing, and job satisfaction. Mental health literacy education can effectively improve work engagement. This study focuses on evaluating the relationship between the character strengths, mental health literacy, and work engagement of clinical nurses to improve the mental health literacy of clinical nurses and further improve their work engagement level.

METHODS

Through convenience sampling, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1,660 nurses in five Level III general hospitals in Shanxi, Hubei, and Shandong from November to December 2023. The survey used a personal demographic form, a three-dimensional character strengths questionnaire, a Chinese multiple mental health literacy scale, and a work engagement scale. This study used the SPSS PROCESS macro procedure and the bootstrap method to examine the role of character strengths in the mediation model of mental health literacy versus work engagement.

RESULTS

The results showed that the character strengths, mental health literacy, and work engagement scores of 1660 clinical nurses were (55.66 ± 8.83), (12.01 ± 5.78) and (33.77 ± 6.67), respectively. The total effect of mental health literacy on work engagement was 0.470 (95% Cl: 0.429 ~ 0.509); the indirect effect was 0.313 (95% Cl: 0.273 ~ 0.355); the direct effect was 0.157 (95% Cl: 0.108 ~ 0.206); the mediation effect accounted for 66.68% of the total effect.

CONCLUSION

Studies have shown that mental health literacy and work engagement were positively correlated among nurses. Character strengths plays a mediating role between nurses' mental health literacy and work engagement. Therefore, nursing managers should pay attention to the mental health literacy of clinical nurses, strengthen the training of mental health knowledge, improve the mental health literacy of clinical nurses, and give full play to the character strengths to further improve the level of clinical work engagement.

Relationship between psychosocial factors and work capacity of healthcare professionals

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the relationship between work ability and psychosocial factors of professionals from the healthcare area.

METHOD

Cross-sectional study with 197 healthcare professionals from a teaching hospital. The Work Ability Index and the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire III were applied. For data analysis, association tests and logistic regression models were used.

RESULTS

Most participants were female (60.9%) with an average age of 40.12±7.14 years. The participants' good/optimal ability to work was 75.1%. The independent factors associated with work ability were recognition, self-rated health, somatic stress, leisure, commitment to time and interaction between work commitment and physical activity.

CONCLUSION

There was a reduction in the good/optimal work capacity of professionals who worked on the front line of care during the COVID-19 pandemic, with frequent exposure to psychosocial risks at work and of those who did not practice physical and leisure activities.

Linkage between role stress and work engagement among specialty nurses: a cross-sectional study of China

OBJECTIVES

Specialty nurses play a significant role in improving patient care; however, little is known about the factors affecting their work engagement. This study aimed to explore the relationship between role stress and work engagement among specialty nurses in China.

DESIGN

A descriptive, cross-sectional study was applied in this study.

SETTING

The study was conducted in the Henan Provincial People's Hospital in China.

PARTICIPANTS

From March to April 2023, we conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study, using convenience sampling to recruit 972 specialty nurses from 42 specialised fields in China.

METHODS

An online questionnaire survey was conducted using the Basic Information Questionnaire, Role Stress Scale and Specialty Nurse Work Engagement Scale. The collected data were analysed by using SPSS 21.0 software. The differences in total work engagement scores between subgroups were investigated using a single-factor analysis of variance. A Spearman's rank correlation and a Pearson's correlation were used to determine the relationship between general information, role stress and work engagement. A ridge regression analysis explored the impact of role stress on work engagement.

RESULTS

The total score of role stress was (52.44±19.92) and the total score of work engagement was (140.27±17.76). Among the scores of various dimensions of specialty nurses' work engagement, the standardised score for work attitude was the highest (4.54±0.56), followed by work values (4.46±0.64); the standardised score of work enthusiasm and focus was the lowest (4.22±0.64). Additionally, role ambiguity (r=-0.352, p<0.001), role conflict (r=-0.367, p<0.001), role overload (r=-0.313, p<0.001) and role stress (r=-0.380, p<0.001) were negatively correlated with work engagement. The total score of role stress was negatively correlated with the total score of work engagement; the results of ridge regression analysis showed that age, professional title and role stress explain 14.6% of the variance in work engagement.

CONCLUSION

Our study found that specialty nurses' work engagement was mid-level or above. Role stress was significantly and negatively correlated with specialty nurses' work engagement, which was an important predictor of their work engagement. Nursing managers should instate effective measures to reduce role stress, thereby increasing work engagement.

Workload and psychosocial risks among nurses in mental health and psychiatry in Chile

The present study aims to explore and compare psychosocial risks and work overload among nursing professionals in the field mental health and psychiatry in Chile. Quantitative, observational and cross-sectional research was designed for this purpose. Nurses from community, ambulatory, hospital and emergency units in mental health and psychiatry in Chile were recruited between January and May 2022. Instruments of psychosocial variables and an occupational psychosocial risk scale based on the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire were used. Descriptive and correlational statistics were used, as well as independent samples t-tests, Factorial Anova and post-hoc analysis with Bonferroni correction. As a result, 174 nursing professionals were recruited, 79.3% female, average age 33.9 years. One-third belonged to the Metropolitan Region of Chile. The highest psychosocial risk was obtained by nurses over 30 years of age, from the Metropolitan Region, with more than 16 patients under their care, at the hospital or psychiatric emergency level. Significant differences were observed in work overload and psychosocial risks according to personal and work characteristics of the professionals, as well as of the users and health services. The levels of psychosocial risk and work overload of mental health and psychiatric nurses were reported, as well as the comparison of these according to personal, sociodemographic, and work characteristics. In order to improve the quality of work life of these professionals and the quality of these services, it is essential to develop interventions focused on the dimensions addressed, as well as to define norms and policies that ensure a workload in accordance with international standards.

Exploring the relationship between psychosocial factors, work engagement, and mental health: a structural equation modeling analysis among faculty in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

Psychosocial hazards in the workplace were identified as a considerable risk to employee mental health as well as their general well-being. Few studies were found to examine its relationship with work engagement and mental health. Thus, this study examines the relationships between psychosocial factors, work engagement, and mental health within the faculty in Saudi Arabia using structural equation modeling.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample size of 375 faculty. Data collection was done using a self-administered online survey that included instruments such as the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ), Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). SmartPLS 3 software facilitated data analysis and included the assessment of factors. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the interplay between psychosocial factors, work engagement, and mental health.

RESULTS

The robust measurement model was characterized by high loadings (0.719 to 0.970), Cronbach's alpha (0.595 to 0.933), and composite reliability (0.807 to 0.968). Convergent and discriminant validity were confirmed using AVE and various criteria. The fit of the saturated model was superior. Burnout explained significant variance (0.585) with predictive relevance for all constructs. Notably, the impact of burnout on family conflict and the influence of stress on burnout were found to have significant effect sizes.

CONCLUSION

The study uses structural equation modeling to examine the relationships between psychosocial factors, work engagement, and mental health among faculty in Saudi Arabia. The robust measurement model demonstrated high reliability and validity, while the saturated model demonstrated excellent fit. These findings contribute to our understanding of psychosocial dynamics, work engagement, and overall health among faculty in Saudi Arabia.

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.

Predictors of Quality of Work Life in Health Care Workers at Adult Critical Care Units: A Cross-sectional Study

Aim and background

Satisfaction with the quality of work life reflects the inadequate distribution of the workforce in critical care units and is not enough; on many occasions, they work in precarious conditions and with high levels of physical, emotional, spiritual, and social demands, impacting the quality of care.

Aim

To identify predictors of the quality of work life of healthcare workers in adult critical care units (ACCU).

Materials and methods

Quantitative study, cross-sectional analytical design with stratified two-stage sampling; three instruments were applied to 209 healthcare professionals in adult critical care units in different sites in a region of Colombia, concerning Quality of Life at Work-GOHISALO, Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire-COPSOQ and Professional Quality of Life-ProQoL V. Multiple ordinal logistic regression was performed with exposure variables from the COPSOQ and ProQoL domains; the outcome variables were the dimensions of the Quality of Work Life instrument. Ethical standards for research involving human subjects were ensured.

Results

According to the results of the multiple logistic models, quality of work life is predicted by job integration and predictability (OR = 6.93; 95% CI = 3.6-13.9), leisure time management and double presence (OR = 4.5; 95% CI = 1.22-8.79). Both job satisfaction and job security are related to leadership quality (OR=3.82; 95% CI = 2.27-6.55 and OR = 3.18; 95% CI = 1.22-8.79), respectively.

Conclusions

The quality of work life of healthcare workers in adult intensive care units is predicted by quantitative demands, double presence, emotional demands, work pace, predictability, vertical trust, and quality of leadership.

How to cite this article

Quinones-Rozo LP, Canaval-Erazo GE, Sandoval-Moreno LM. Predictors of Quality of Work Life in Health Care Workers at Adult Critical Care Units: A Cross-sectional Study. Indian J Crit Care Med 2024;28(4):355-363.

The effect of perceived professional benefits on health professionals' job engagement: the role of psychological availability and future perceived professional benefits

BACKGROUND

Improving the job engagement of health professionals can effectively enhance the quality of their medical services. However, few studies have investigated whether and how perceived professional benefits affect job engagement. Based on resource conservation theory, this study explored the effect of the influence of perceived professional benefits on job engagement, and also examined the mediating role of psychological availability and the moderating role of future perceived professional benefits.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in six tertiary hospitals and seven secondary hospitals in Liu Panshui, a city in western China. A total of 1,406 valid questionnaires were obtained and analysed by using correlation analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, and bootstrap tests.

RESULT

The study found a significant positive association between health professionals' perceived professional benefits and their job engagement. Additionally, psychological availability was found to mediate this relationship. Future perceived professional benefits not only positively moderate this relationship between perceived professional benefits on health professionals' psychological availability but also positively moderate the mediating role of psychological availability between perceived professional benefits and job engagement.

CONCLUSION

Improving health professionals' perceived professional benefits can enhance their job engagement by increasing their psychological availability. However, for health professionals with low future perceived professional benefits, this improvement may disappear. Therefore, it is important to enhance both their current and future perceived professional benefits to improve their job engagement.

Determinants of psychological injury among health and social care workers in community settings: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Health and Social Care (HSC) workers face psychological health risks in the workplace. While many studies have described psychological injuries in HSC workers, few have examined the determinants. Previous research has primarily focused on hospitals, lacking systematic reviews of community-based settings.

OBJECTIVE

To systematically identify and appraise current evidence on the determinants of psychological injuries among HSC workers in community settings.

METHODS

Searches were conducted in three bibliographic databases, supplemented by citation searches. Included studies focused on community-based HSC workers, reporting statistical associations between psychological injury and personal, health, occupational, or organizational factors. Quantitative studies published in English between January 1, 2000 and August 15, 2023 were included. Quality appraisal was undertaken using the JBI critical appraisal checklist.

RESULTS

Sixty-six studies were included. Study quality was highly variable, and all studies were cross-sectional. Twenty-three studies linked psychological injury with occupational factors (e.g. low job control, high job demands and low job satisfaction). Thirteen studies observed an association between work environment and psychological injury, and a further eleven between workplace social support and psychological injury. Fewer studies have examined the relationship between psychological injury and personal/individual factors.

CONCLUSION

Occupational and organisational factors are significantly associated with psychological health among HSA workers, in community settings. These aspects of job design, work environment and workplace relationships are modifiable, suggesting an opportunity for work design interventions to improve workers' psychological health and reduce the prevalence of psychological injury in this sector.

Relationships between nursing leadership and organizational, staff and patient outcomes: A systematic review of reviews

AIM

To assess and describe reviews of nursing leadership styles associated with organizational, staff and patient outcomes.

DESIGN

A systematic review of reviews.

METHODS

Reviews describing a search strategy and quality assessment. The review followed the PRISMA statement. Nine databases were searched in February 2022.

RESULTS

After screening 6992 records, 12 reviews were included reporting 85 outcomes for 17 relational, nine task-oriented, five passive and five destructive leadership styles. Transformational leadership, which is one of the relational styles, was the most studied among all the styles. Of the outcomes, staff outcomes were the most reported, notably job satisfaction, and patient outcomes were less reported. Also, mediating factors between relational leadership styles and staff and patient outcomes were identified.

CONCLUSION

Extensive research shows the beneficial impacts of relational leadership; however, destructive leadership research is lacking. Relational leadership styles should be conceptually assessed. More research is needed on how nurse leadership affects patients and organizations.

Antecedents and Outcomes of Work Engagement among Psychiatric Nurses in Japan

While previous studies have examined antecedents and outcomes of work engagement among general nurses, studies among psychiatric nurses remain limited. This study aimed to explore the antecedents (i.e., job crafting and nursing practice environment) and outcomes (i.e., strength-oriented care attitudes, mental health, and turnover intention) of work engagement among psychiatric nurses in Japan. This cross-sectional study included 309 nurses from three psychiatric hospitals in Japan (valid response rate: 60.4%). Data collection using the self-administered questionnaire took place from July to August 2021. We performed Structural Equation Modeling to examine the directional relationships among variables. Job crafting (β = 0.57, p < 0.01) and nursing practice environment (β = 0.23, p = 0.01) exhibited positive effects on work engagement. Work engagement had positive effects on strength-oriented care attitudes (β = 0.15, p = 0.04) and mental health (β = 0.37, p < 0.01) as well as negative effects on intention to resign from their profession as a nurse (β = -0.17, p = 0.01). Job crafting and a healthier nursing practice environment could help enhance work engagement. Higher work engagement could contribute to improving strength-oriented care attitudes, mental health, and intention to resign from their profession as a nurse.

Occupational Well-Being of Multidisciplinary PHC Teams: Barriers/Facilitators and Negotiations to Improve Working Conditions

Well-being at work is one of the factors determining healthy work conditions and is perceived by workers as a positive psychological state. In this study, the concept of well-being at work was used together with occupational functionality (i.e., current health state, current work environment, and barriers/facilitators to implementing well-being at work), occupational risk perception, and proactivity/negotiations held by workers to improve working conditions. In this context, the objectives were to identify the socio-demographic and occupational characteristics independently associated with levels of well-being at work of the multidisciplinary PHC health team; detect barriers or facilitators resulting from the attitudes of colleagues, community members, and managers that influence the well-being at work of the multidisciplinary health team; and identify with whom and what reasons led health workers to become proactive and negotiate improved working conditions. This cross-sectional study addressed 338 health workers from the multidisciplinary teams of PHC outpatient services in the extreme south of Brazil. Multivariate linear regression models were adopted to analyze data. The results show various independent associations with levels of well-being at work. Nursing workers (technicians and nurses) more frequently expressed job commitment and job satisfaction. Difficulties in solving problems and performing work routines, and co-workers' attitudes directly influence the well-being of the PHC team members. Risk perception (physical and chemical) also influences well-being. Negotiations in which PHC managers engaged to improve working conditions appeared as a significant predictor of job commitment, job satisfaction, and job involvement. The results reveal that well-being at work is an important indicator of the potential of workers' proactivity in negotiating improved working conditions.

Impact of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivation on Work Engagement: A Cross-Sectional Study of Nurses Working in Long-Term Care Facilities

Nurses’ work motivation impacts their job satisfaction and work engagement, affecting their quality of care. Work motivation, a personal resource, can be categorized into intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, each of which may function differently in the job demands–resources (JD–R) model. To study the effect of nurses’ intrinsic and extrinsic work motivation on work engagement in long-term care (LTC) facilities, we randomly selected 1200 facilities from 6055 LTC facilities in eastern Japan. Two nurses from each facility completed a self-report questionnaire—newly developed for this study for evaluating intrinsic and extrinsic work motivation—to assess their work engagement, job satisfaction, and work motivation. Multiple regression analysis of 561 valid questionnaires investigated the relationship between work motivation and work engagement, indicating that intrinsic work motivation, job satisfaction, and age had a significant positive effect on work engagement, while extrinsic work motivation had no significant effect. However, half the nurses chose to work because of extrinsic work motivation, explaining the high turnover rate of nursing staff in LTC facilities. Findings indicate the importance of measures to foster nurses’ intrinsic motivation to improve work engagement. Further research should investigate how to improve the intrinsic motivation of nurses working in LTC facilities.

Psychological Distress Among Occupational Health Professionals During Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Spain: Description and Effect of Work Engagement and Work Environment

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of hospital health professionals has been widely described, but few studies have focused on occupational health professionals. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess psychological distress (PD) of occupational health workers and its relationship with their work engagement (WE) and work environment characteristics. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A sample of 499 nurses and physicians participated in the study. Variables included demographic data, work environment characteristics, work engagement Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and psychological distress General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection method was performed for data analysis. Data collection took place via the internet between April 23 and June 24, 2020. A total of 65.53% of the participants had PD, and the total mean score of the UWES-9 scale was 34.80 (SD = 10.69). Workload, conflicts, stressful situations, and less job satisfaction were significantly related to a higher percentage of PD (p < 0.05). Participants with low engagement showed higher levels of PD (76.7%; p < 0.001). The dedication was revealed as the most significant dimension. Interventions aimed at promoting resilience and coping strategies are suggested. WE should be fostered as a preventive measure against PD among occupational health workers. By protecting workers, occupational health departments have a shared responsibility with public health in containing the pandemic. Therefore, it is essential to prevent the psychological impact that this responsibility may have on occupational health workers by implementing prevention measures.