Impact of COVID-19 on the Level of Work Engagement of Nurses at a Small, Rural Hospital

Background There is a severe nursing shortage. Nurses are experiencing pressure, stress, and negative effects on their mental health from the ongoing pandemic. Understanding how their work engagement has been affected is essential. Method A descriptive, cross-sectional design was used. A survey plus the Fear of COVID-19 scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and three open-ended questions were used. Results Participants (n = 107) were mostly female, had a bachelor degree or higher, worked full-time, had access to personal protective equipment, and followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. Receiving education about COVID-19 and feeling that the hospital provided adequate education were correlated with engagement scores. The type of education significantly correlated with engagement scores, with in-service education having the highest scores. Conclusion Understanding the needs of nurses during a pandemic is critical to engaging and retaining them. This study provides information that may be beneficial in future health crises. [.