Predictive roles of organizational and personal factors in work engagement among nurses

Objective: To determine the work engagement levels of hospital nurses and the predictive roles that nurses’ personal and organizational characteristics play.

Methods: A cross-sectional design was employed in this study, which included 549 nurses working in the Central Philippines. Nurses were selected through purposive sampling, and a self-report questionnaire outlining personal and organizational characteristics was employed. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) was applied to gather data about nurse engagement.

Results: The dedication score was the highest among the three dimensions of engagement while the vigor score was the lowest. Overall, Filipino nurses experienced an average level of work engagement. We observed significant relationships between a nurse’s age, years of experience in nursing, years in their present unit, and their position at work and their levels of engagement, vigor, sense of dedication, and absorption. Hospital capacity was a negative predictor of vigor, dedication, absorption, and overall work engagement. Further, the type of nursing contract was a negative predictor of vigor and dedication. The type of hospital and the nurse’s position were positive predictors of vigor, dedication, and absorption.

Conclusions: Filipino nurses were satisfactorily engaged at work. A number of nurses’ personal and organizational characteristics play a predictive role in their work engagement. Thus, nursing administrators must support, develop, and implement activities and measures that engage nurses at work.