Abstract
Aims
This study examined whether nurse work engagement mediated the associations of job resources (collegial support and autonomy) and a personal resource (empathy) with individualized care delivery, in both hospital and long-term care settings. We also explored potential setting-specific differences in how strongly the resources were associated with work engagement and individualized care delivery among nurses.
Design
We conducted a cross-sectional study in three hospitals and two long-term care facilities.
Methods
In total, 454 nurses completed a web-based survey including validated measures on resources (collegial support, autonomy, empathy), work engagement and individualized care delivery. Data were analysed using mediation and moderated mediation analyses.
Results
In both settings, all resources were indirectly associated with individualized care delivery via work engagement. Empathy was also directly associated with individualized care delivery, and a stronger association was found in the long-term care setting than in the hospital setting.
Conclusion
The present study showed work engagement to mediate the associations of job resources and empathy with individualized care delivery in both hospital and long-term care settings. Individualized care delivery was furthermore directly facilitated by high levels of empathy, especially among nurses working in long-term care settings.
Implications for the profession and/or patient care
Patients may benefit from better individualized care delivery by empathic nurses who are more work-engaged in the face of sufficient job resources in their practice environment.
Impact
Nurses are better able to deliver individualized care when provided with sufficient job resources (collegial support and autonomy) that support their being work-engaged professionals. Furthermore, empathic nurses also reported being able to better support patient individuality. These findings can be translated to policies of hospitals and long-term care facilities, to optimize job resources and enhance empathy and thus facilitate the support of patient individuality by nurses.
Reporting method
This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines.
Patient or public contribution
Nurses were involved in the design and data collection of the study.
This study examined whether nurse work engagement mediated the associations of job resources (collegial support and autonomy) and a personal resource (empathy) with individualized care delivery, in both hospital and long-term care settings. We also explored potential setting-specific differences in how strongly the resources were associated with work engagement and individualized care delivery among nurses.
Design
We conducted a cross-sectional study in three hospitals and two long-term care facilities.
Methods
In total, 454 nurses completed a web-based survey including validated measures on resources (collegial support, autonomy, empathy), work engagement and individualized care delivery. Data were analysed using mediation and moderated mediation analyses.
Results
In both settings, all resources were indirectly associated with individualized care delivery via work engagement. Empathy was also directly associated with individualized care delivery, and a stronger association was found in the long-term care setting than in the hospital setting.
Conclusion
The present study showed work engagement to mediate the associations of job resources and empathy with individualized care delivery in both hospital and long-term care settings. Individualized care delivery was furthermore directly facilitated by high levels of empathy, especially among nurses working in long-term care settings.
Implications for the profession and/or patient care
Patients may benefit from better individualized care delivery by empathic nurses who are more work-engaged in the face of sufficient job resources in their practice environment.
Impact
Nurses are better able to deliver individualized care when provided with sufficient job resources (collegial support and autonomy) that support their being work-engaged professionals. Furthermore, empathic nurses also reported being able to better support patient individuality. These findings can be translated to policies of hospitals and long-term care facilities, to optimize job resources and enhance empathy and thus facilitate the support of patient individuality by nurses.
Reporting method
This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines.
Patient or public contribution
Nurses were involved in the design and data collection of the study.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 7321-7329 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Journal of Clinical Nursing |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue number | 19-20 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Oct 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2023 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.