Meaning and Joy at Work and Nurse Self-Care Practices: An Exploratory Study

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Occupational Health
• Psychology

Background:

• The Institute for Healthcare Improvement Framework suggests self-care for workforce well-being.
• Empirical evidence linking self-care to meaning and joy in work (MJW) among nurses is lacking.
• Nurses face unique workplace stressors impacting job satisfaction and productivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe self-care practices in registered nurses.
• To assess levels of meaning and joy in work (MJW) among registered nurses.
• To explore the empirical relationship between self-care and MJW in this population.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to 122 registered nurses from a regional health system.
• Validated instruments included the Demographic Questionnaire, Meaning and Joy in Work Questionnaire (MJWQ), and Brief Mindful Self-Care Scale (Brief MSCS).
• Statistical analysis explored correlations between self-care scores (Brief MSCS) and MJW scores (MJWQ).

Main Results:

• The mean MJW score was 4.29 (on a 1-5 scale), indicating generally high levels of meaning and joy.
• The mean Brief Mindful Self-Care score was 3.05.
• A significant positive correlation (r = 0.43, P < .001) was found between self-care and MJW.

Conclusions:

• Self-care practices are significantly associated with meaning and joy in work among registered nurses.
• Findings support the integration of self-care strategies to enhance nurses' job satisfaction and well-being.
• Interventions promoting self-care may be a valuable strategy for improving the nursing work environment.