Head Nurses ' Job Demands and Resources and its Relationship with Their Work Engagement at Mansoura University Hospitals

Abstract

Hospitals are challenged to achieve consistently superior patient outcomes while facing mounting financial constraints. Work engagement contributes to a variety of benefits for employees and the organizations for which they work. Engaged heath care professional are energized, dedicated, and motivated to persevere and complete their work. The Job Demands-Resources (JDR) model is a conceptual framework used to explain employee engagement in the workplace. The importance of work engagement has been widely recognized at an individual and an organizational level. It is important to gain a deeper understanding into the aspects of the role that enable head nurses to feel engaged.  The aim of the present study is to determine relationships between head nurses job demands and resources with their work engagement. A descriptive correlation design was used in carrying out this study. All head nurses (n=179) who working in all general units at four Mansoura University Hospitals namely; Main University Hospital, Emergency Hospital, Pediatric Hospital, and Specialized Medical Hospital were included in the study. Three tools were used for data collection, namely; Job Demands Scale, Job Resources Scale, and Work Engagement Scale. A major finding of the present study there was statistically significant correlation between head nurses' job demands-resources components and their work engagement. It was concluded that job resources play a significant role in the work engagement of head nurses and four components of job resources namely; performance feedback, growth opportunities, organizational support and job control were predictors of work engagement. It is recommended that to promote head nurses' work engagement, it is necessary to acknowledge job demands and resources because it is play an important role in their work engagement.