Work conditions and engagement among nurses in Uruguay

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of the interaction effect of work conditions including work overload, emotional demands, social support and self-development opportunities on work engagement within the framework of the job demands-resource model. Design/methodology/approach A total of 481 registered nurses in Uruguay participated in this study. A series of multiple structural equations modelling analyses were used to examine the interaction hypotheses and their effect on work engagement. Findings Three out of four two-way interactions presented significant effects, showing that social support mitigated the negative effects that emotional demands and work overload have on work engagement. However, self-development opportunities only moderated the effect of emotional demands on work engagement, but did not relieve the effects of work overload. Research limitations/implications The study only considered two demands and two resources to test for interactions. Inclusion of other work characteristics as well as personal resources could provide a better understanding of the relationships within an organisation. Practical implications The importance of developing a pool of resources in order to increase nurses’ work engagement and buffer the increasing demands of healthcare professionals is discussed. Originality/value The findings provide evidence of the impact of the interaction of job demands and job resources in the development of work engagement in Uruguay. Additionally, the results emphasise the importance of identifying relevant work conditions that contribute to sustaining work engagement in the nursing profession in Latin-American countries.