Shared Governance and Work Engagement in Emergency Nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Organizational Psychology

Background:

• Lack of work engagement among emergency nurses contributes to high turnover, burnout, and dissatisfaction.
• Shared governance offers a framework for nursing leaders to improve emergency nurse engagement.
• Limited research exists on the direct relationship between shared governance perceptions and work engagement in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between emergency department (ED) nurses' perceptions of shared governance and their work engagement.
• To provide evidence for nursing leaders on utilizing shared governance to boost engagement.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive correlational design was employed.
• A convenience sample of 43 emergency nurses was recruited via the ENA website.
• Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Index of Professional Nursing Governance Tool, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale.

Main Results:

• The average work engagement score among participants was moderate (M = 4.4, SD = 1.2).
• A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between shared governance and work engagement (r(41) = 0.62, P < .001).
• Higher perceptions of shared governance were associated with increased work engagement.

Conclusions:

• This study offers initial evidence supporting the link between shared governance and work engagement in emergency nurses.
• Understanding this relationship can guide nursing leaders in developing interventions to enhance emergency nurse engagement.
• Findings suggest shared governance may be a valuable strategy for improving the emergency nursing work environment.