Professional Nursing Practice Environment and Work Engagement: The Mediating Roles of Self-Efficacy and Achievement Motivation

Abstract

Background The shortage of nurses is a global problem. Increasing the level of work engagement is known to effectively reduce turnover rate among nursing staff. Strategies to improve work engagement based on the job demands–resources model may effectively improve nurses' job satisfaction and reduce staff turnover. Purpose A job demands–resources model was used in this study to test the hypothesis that work engagement is affected by both external resources (professional nursing practice environment) and internal resources (self-efficacy and achievement motivation). In addition, the mediating role of self-efficacy and achievement motivation in the relationship between professional nursing practice environment and work engagement was also verified. Methods A cross-sectional survey employing a convenience sampling design was implemented. Five hundred fifteen registered nurses were recruited from four tertiary hospitals in Chengdu, China, from January to June 2020. The Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, General Self-Efficacy Scale, Achievement Motive Scale, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale were used to measure the four variables. Results The results of the structural equation model showed that the degree of fit for each index model was good, indicating that all of the three variables, including professional nursing practice environment, self-efficacy, and achievement motivation, directly affected work engagement. In addition, the variable professional nursing practice environment was found to indirectly influence work engagement through the partial mediation of self-efficacy and achievement motivation. Conclusions The results may be used to guide health policymakers and nurse managers attempting to enhance the work engagement of nurses by providing a supportive working environment, improving the welfare mechanism, formulating a talent training plan, and fostering appropriate empowerment to improve the working environment, self-efficacy, and motivation in nurses.

The relationship between social support and professional identity of health professional students from a two-way social support theory perspective: chain mediating effects of achievement motivation and meaning in life

“…Huang’s results were similar to the findings concerning the role of meaning in life in the chained-mediation in the present study. In addition, studies confirmed that meaning in life and the feeling of well-being were correlated [ 90 , 91 ]. The present study provided theoretical implications for future investigations on the role of meaning in life and subjective well-being in the relationship between social support and professional identity.…”

Updating Factors Influencing Nurse Work Engagement in the Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review

“… 37 Also, self-efficacy partially mediates the correlation between ‘professional nursing practice environment and engagement’. 37 Dan, Huang, Ren, Tian, He 38 Cabrera-Aguilar, Zevallos-Francia, Morales-García, Ramírez-Coronel, Morales-García, Sairitupa-Sanchez, Morales-García 37 Al Hamdan, Bani Issa 39 Optimism Positive correlation with work engagement. Optimism has a mediate role between autonomy and organizational citizenship behavior.…”

“… Mediated role: The correlation between professional nursing practice environment and work engagement is partially mediated by achievement motivation. 38 Also, the interrelationship between job resources, work engagement, and burnout is mediated by intrinsic motivation. 43 Dan, Huang, Ren, Tian, He 38 Kohnen, De Witte, Schaufeli, Dello, Bruyneel, Sermeus 43 Core self-evaluation Self and control abilities predict work engagement.…”

“… 38 Also, the interrelationship between job resources, work engagement, and burnout is mediated by intrinsic motivation. 43 Dan, Huang, Ren, Tian, He 38 Kohnen, De Witte, Schaufeli, Dello, Bruyneel, Sermeus 43 Core self-evaluation Self and control abilities predict work engagement. Pericak, Hogg, Skalsky, Bourdeanu 24 Proactive personality A proactive personality affects work engagement.…”

“…Optimism mediates autonomy and “organizational citizenship behavior”, 40 while resilience mediates the relationship between organizational identity and work engagement. 41 Motivation, specifically the motivation to succeed and avoid failure, significantly correlates with work engagement, 38 with achievement motivation partially mediating the correlation between the “professional nursing practice environment” and work engagement, 38 and intrinsic motivation mediating the connection of job resources with work engagement and burnout. 43 Core self-evaluation predicts work engagement, 24 and proactive personality positively influences work engagement.…”