Perceived Calling and Work Engagement Among Nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Organizational Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Nursing is a demanding profession with high rates of burnout.
• Understanding factors that enhance work engagement is crucial for nurse retention.
• The role of perceived calling as a motivator in nursing requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between perceived calling and work engagement in nurses.
• To determine if perceived calling explains work engagement beyond environmental factors.
• To explore the impact of perceived calling on specific components of work engagement.

Main Methods:

• Survey data collected from 351 nurses across various healthcare institutions.
• Assessed demanding aspects of nursing, job resources, perceived calling, and work engagement.
• Hierarchical linear regression analysis used to evaluate relationships.

Main Results:

• Perceived calling was significantly associated with dedication and, to a lesser extent, vigor in work engagement.
• Perceived calling explained a portion of work engagement independent of demographic and work environment factors.
• The dedication component of work engagement showed the strongest association with perceived calling.

Conclusions:

• A strong sense of calling may enhance nurses' dedication and engagement, even amidst difficult work conditions.
• Perceived calling appears to be a valuable resource for fostering work engagement in the nursing profession.
• Further research is needed to clarify the long-term effects on nurses' occupational well-being.