Mediating Effects of Coping Strategies Between Activation for Self-Management of Back Pain and Work Engagement: A Cross-Sectional Study of Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory Nurses

Abstract

Background Work engagement is a critical factor in improving the quality of care, nurses' job satisfaction, and hospital profitability. However, nurses, especially those in cardiac catheterization labs, face significant physical demands such as lower back pain from prolonged use of lead personal protective equipment, impacting their work engagement. To examine the back pain self-management activation, work engagement, and role of coping strategies among nurses in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Methods This was a cross-sectional study design. A convenience sampling recruited 296 participants from 18 hospitals in Jiangsu and Anhui provinces of China from February to March 2023. The Demographics questionnaire, Participant Activation for Management of Back Pain Questionnaire, Simplified Coping Skill Questionnaire, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale were used to survey participants. A Pearson correlation analysis was conducted to determine the relationship between positive self-management of back pain, coping strategy, and work engagement. Bootstrap method was used to analyze the mediating effect of coping strategies. Results Work engagement and back pain self-management activation among cardiac catheterization laboratory nurses were moderate and influenced by various sociodemographic factors. Activation for self-management of back pain directly impacted work engagement, partially mediated by positive coping strategies, which accounted for 25.96% of the total effect. Conclusion Activation of self-management of back pain and positive coping strategies promote work engagement among cardiac catheterization laboratory nurses. Nursing managers should integrate individual and organizational interventions to increase nurses' self-management activation and work engagement.