Job demands, job resources, and work engagement among South African nurses

The study investigated whether job demands and job resources predict work engagement of public and private sector nurses. The sample comprised of 420 South African nurses (females = 88.8%; employed in the private sector = 61.8%; mean age = 38 years, SD = 9.50 years). They completed surveys of job demands (emotional demands, role ambiguity, and workplace violence), job resources (meaningful work, autonomy, career advancement opportunities, and leader–member exchange), and work engagement. Multiple regression analysis revealed that job resources (meaningful work, leader– member exchange, and career advancement) predicted work engagement of nurses in private hospitals. Job demands (emotional demands) and job resources (meaningful work and career advancement) predicted work engagement among nurses in public hospitals. As a job resource, meaningful work accounted for the most variance in the work engagement of both public and private nurses. Leader–member exchange enhanced the work engagement of the private sector nurses. Meaningful work appears to be a job resource to enhance work engagement among nurses in both the public and private sectors.