Motivation and work engagement in a population of Nursing professional
Abstract
Background: The motivation and work engagement of healthcare professionals are an area of interest for healthcare management. Nurses, midwives, and nursing assistants (TCAE) represent an essential resource in the healthcare system.
Objective: to analyze the relationship between motivation and work engagement in nursing professionals at a tertiary hospital, describing the levels of each construct and its dimensions.
Material and Method: Descriptive-correlational transversal observational study conducted at a single center using a questionnaire. The participants were nursing staff. Work motivation was measured using Hackman and Oldham's Job Diagnosis Survey (JDS) scale, and work engagement was assessed with the shortened Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9). Both scales were analysed based on their total scores and underlying dimensions.
Outcomes: 350 nursing professionals participated in the survey. The most represented category was nurses with 177 (50.6%), followed by nursing assistants with 146 (41.7%) and midwives with 27 (7.7%). The JDS and UWEs-9 scale scores were 77.16± 8.786 and 4.49±1.130, respectively. On the JDS scale, midwives had significantly higher scores for task variety (p<0.001), while nursing assistants had higher scores for task identity (p<0.001) and feedback (p<0.001). In terms of work engagement, dedication and absorption scored highly with 4.81 and 4.29.
Conclusions: The level of motivation and work engagement are average. As points for action, better feedback on performance and the impact of tasks on midwives and nurses is needed.
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