Online first
Research paper
Published online: 2024-06-19
Work engagement of nurses in palliative care — a validation study of the UWES scale-9 and selected socio-demographic and professional determinants
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DOI: 10.5603/pmp.100394
Abstract
Introduction: Commitment to work is one of the more expected attitudes towards work, characterized by respect for the values presented by the employing institution and accompanied by positive emotions such as excitement, enthusiasm, satisfaction, a feeling of full energy, pleasure, or even happiness. The study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES) and to assess the work engagement of nursing staff in palliative care, as well as to determine the association of UWES with selected socio-demographic and occupational determinants.
Participants and methods: This study is cross-sectional and validated in line with the STROBE checklist for research reporting. The survey was conducted in 2023, among nurses working in palliative care centres in Poland using the survey technique Paper And Pencil Interview (PAPI) and Computer Assisted Web Interview (CAWI).
Results: The mean work engagement scores of the UWES-9 version 2 palliative care nurses are as follows: the mean score was 4.26 (M = 4.26; SD = 1.09); Me = 4.56, min–max (0.33–6.00). A regression analysis, in which the overall UWES-9 questionnaire score was the dependent variable and demographic and occupational variables were the independent variables, showed R2 = 0.32 and its significance p < 0.001.
Conclusions: The research carried out showed that the UWES-9 version 2 is a reliable and relevant tool to measure the work engagement of nursing staff providing services in palliative care. Work engagement in the surveyed group of nurses is influenced by the female sex, greater number of full-time jobs, longer tenure, and place of residence.
Keywords: work engagementnursespalliative careUWES-9psychometric analysis
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