Abstract
Background: Approximately three million nurses report to work daily across the United States (Alexander et al., 2021). Despite this number, there is a critical nursing shortage that must be addressed (Bong, 2019). Nurses work in a high-demand profession that affects their ability to acquire or conserve resources to stay engaged and avoid burnout (Contreras et al., 2020; Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2023). Healthcare organizations must focus on retaining nurses by providing them with resources and tools to be engaged and provide quality care (Bong, 2019; Contreras et al., 2020; Othman & Nasurdin, 2019).
Methods: A review of literature was performed to identify facilitators that improve nurse engagement. A search was conducted using electronic databases with search terms specific to nursing engagement. Data searches were comprehensive, and all pertinent articles were included.
Results: The top facilitators identified for nursing engagement were supportive leadership and access to adequate resources. Leaders who are supportive, involved, and provide positive communication and appropriate resources can significantly improve nurse engagement (Alexander et al., 2021; Alotaibi et al. 2020; Contreras et al., 2020; Orgambídez & Almeida, 2020; Othman & Nasurdin, 2019; Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2023; Sellers et al., 2019). Furthermore, nurses with sufficient personal resources were found to be more motivated and dedicated to their work. Those with access to adequate job resources experienced enhanced personal growth and development, along with an increased ability to meet organizational goals and job demands (Alotaibi et al., 2020; Clark et al., 2021; Contreras et al., 2020; Dall’Ora et al., 2020; Othman & Mohd Nasurdin, 2019; Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2023). Cultivating nurse engagement can improve nurses’ job performance and satisfaction, commitment to the organization, and patient care and outcomes (Contreras et al., 2020; Orgambídez & Almeida, 2020; Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2023).
Conclusion: Othman and Nasurdin (2019) state that “having an engaged nursing workforce is one of the strategic imperatives for healthcare organizations worldwide in light of the multitude of challenges associated with the provision of quality healthcare” (p. 432). Healthcare organizations and leaders need to promote awareness and implement interventions to increase engagement within the workplace (Alotaibi et al., 2020; Contreras et al., 2020; Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2023).
Notes
References: Alexander, C. C., Tschannen, D., Hays, D., Clouse, M., Zellefrow, C., Amer, K. S., Lambert-Davis, J., Watson, T. H., Tovar, E. G., & Milner, K. A. (2021). An integrative review of the barriers and facilitators to nurse engagement in quality improvement in the clinical practice setting. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 37(1), 94–100. https://doi.org/10.1097/ncq.0000000000000562
Alotaibi, S. M., Amin, M., & Winterton, J. (2020). Does emotional intelligence and empowering leadership affect psychological empowerment and work engagement? Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 41(8), 971–991. https://doi.org/10.1108/lodj-07-2020-0313
Bong, H. E. (2019). Understanding moral distress: How to decrease turnover rates of new graduate pediatric nurses. Pediatric Nursing, 45(3), 109-114.
Clark, P., Crawford, T., Hulse, B., & Polivka, B. (2021). Resilience, moral distress, and workplace engagement in emergency department nurses. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 43(5), 442-451. https://doi.org/10.1177/01939459209569700
Contreras, F., Espinosa, J. C., & Esguerra, G. A. (2020). Could personal resources influence work engagement and burnout? A study in a group of nursing staff. SAGE Open, 10(1), 215824401990056. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244019900563
Dall’Ora, C., Ball, J., Reinius, M., & Griffiths, P. (2020). Burnout in nursing: A theoretical review. Human Resources for Health, 18(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-020-00469-9
Orgambídez, A., & Almeida, H. (2019). Supervisor support and affective organizational commitment: The mediator role of work engagement. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 42(3), 187–193. https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945919852426
Othman, N., & Nasurdin, A. M. (2019). Job characteristics and staying engaged in work of nurses: Empirical evidence from Malaysia. International Journal of Nursing Sciences, 6(4), 432–438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnss.2019.09.010
Paustian-Underdahl, S. C., Halbesleben, J. R. B., Carlson, D. S., & Hamadi, H. Y. (2023). Examining regulatory focus in the acceleration and deceleration of engagement and exhaustion cycles among nurses. Health Care Management Review, 48(3), 282–290. https://doi.org/10.1097/hmr.0000000000000375
Sellers, K., Riley, M., Denny, D., Rogers, D., Havener, J., Rathbone, T. & Gomez-Di Cesare, C. (2019). Retention of nurses in a rural environment: The impact of job satisfaction, resilience, grit, engagement, and rural fit. Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care, 19(1), 4–42. https://doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v19i1.547
Sigma Membership
Iota Theta
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
N/A
Research Approach
N/A
Keywords:
Workforce, Continuing Education, Competence
Recommended Citation
Chance, Kasey Duffie; Smith, Jacquelyn; and Simpler, Brandy, "Advocating for Nurse Engagement: Cultivating Leadership and Resource Availability" (2025). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 37.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2025/presentations_2025/37
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Advocating for Nurse Engagement: Cultivating Leadership and Resource Availability
Phoenix, Arizona, USA
Background: Approximately three million nurses report to work daily across the United States (Alexander et al., 2021). Despite this number, there is a critical nursing shortage that must be addressed (Bong, 2019). Nurses work in a high-demand profession that affects their ability to acquire or conserve resources to stay engaged and avoid burnout (Contreras et al., 2020; Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2023). Healthcare organizations must focus on retaining nurses by providing them with resources and tools to be engaged and provide quality care (Bong, 2019; Contreras et al., 2020; Othman & Nasurdin, 2019).
Methods: A review of literature was performed to identify facilitators that improve nurse engagement. A search was conducted using electronic databases with search terms specific to nursing engagement. Data searches were comprehensive, and all pertinent articles were included.
Results: The top facilitators identified for nursing engagement were supportive leadership and access to adequate resources. Leaders who are supportive, involved, and provide positive communication and appropriate resources can significantly improve nurse engagement (Alexander et al., 2021; Alotaibi et al. 2020; Contreras et al., 2020; Orgambídez & Almeida, 2020; Othman & Nasurdin, 2019; Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2023; Sellers et al., 2019). Furthermore, nurses with sufficient personal resources were found to be more motivated and dedicated to their work. Those with access to adequate job resources experienced enhanced personal growth and development, along with an increased ability to meet organizational goals and job demands (Alotaibi et al., 2020; Clark et al., 2021; Contreras et al., 2020; Dall’Ora et al., 2020; Othman & Mohd Nasurdin, 2019; Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2023). Cultivating nurse engagement can improve nurses’ job performance and satisfaction, commitment to the organization, and patient care and outcomes (Contreras et al., 2020; Orgambídez & Almeida, 2020; Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2023).
Conclusion: Othman and Nasurdin (2019) state that “having an engaged nursing workforce is one of the strategic imperatives for healthcare organizations worldwide in light of the multitude of challenges associated with the provision of quality healthcare” (p. 432). Healthcare organizations and leaders need to promote awareness and implement interventions to increase engagement within the workplace (Alotaibi et al., 2020; Contreras et al., 2020; Paustian-Underdahl et al., 2023).
Description
The purpose of this research was to identify the top facilitators for nurse engagement. The top facilitators identified for nursing engagement were supportive leadership and access to adequate resources. Healthcare organizations and leaders need to promote awareness and implement interventions to increase engagement within the workplace.