The study on influencing factors of nurses' job engagement in 3-Grade Hospitals in east China: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Objectives Nurses' job stress perception and psychological capital affect their job engagement. This paper explores the effects of demographic characteristics, mental workload, and AQ on the job engagement of nurses in 12 hospitals in East China. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample. Data collection was performed from July 2020 to March 2021. Mean Rank and Median were used for descriptive statistical analysis. Mann–Whitney U Test and Kruskal–Wallis H Test compared the difference of different groups. Spearman correlation analysis was conduct to detect the correlation between mental workload, AQ, and job engagement. Binary logistic regression analysis explored the predictors and abilities of job engagement. Results labor and personnel relations, department, annual salary, marital satisfaction, social support, whether there is financial pressure or not, significant stresssignificant stress in the last six months, attitudes towards the nursing profession, attitude towards the current career position, the organization provides opportunities for further study, religious belief, study to get a degree or certificate in spare time were all influencing factors of job engagement. Job engagement has a remarkable positive correlation with AQ (r = 0.623, p＜0.001) and a negative correlation with mental workload (r = − 0.422, p＜0.001). Mental workload has an apparent negative correlation with AQ (r = − 0.250, p＜0.001). Department, study to get a degree or certificate in spare time, self-assessment, and endurance predicted nurses' job engagement. Conclusions This study is based on the JD-R model, and the results are helpful in understanding the effects of demographic characteristics, mental workload (job requirements), and AQ (job resources) on the job engagement of nurses. It is necessary to take a variety of measures according to the social-demographic characteristics, improve the AQ of hospital nurses, and evaluate the mental workload correctly, to improve the job engagement of nurses.