Abstract
Background: Although the WHO and the International Labour Organization have repeatedly emphasized the importance of promoting decent work to ensure a sustainable nursing workforce, the concept of decent work within nursing remains insufficiently defined, creating challenges for implementation.
Objective: The purpose of this article is to analyze the concept of decent work in nursing.
Method: A literature review was conducted following Walker and Avant’s concept analysis method. Searches were performed in PubMed, EBSCOhost (including CINAHL Complete, CINAHL Ultimate, MEDLINE, APA PsycArticles, and APA PsycINFO), ProQuest, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Airiti Library through April 2025.
Result: Twenty studies were included to identify the attributes, antecedents, and consequences of decent work in nursing. The defining attributes include the assurance of human rights as a foundational motivation in the workplace, the satisfaction of work-related needs, and the subjective experience of being valued and recognized. Antecedents encompass (1) personal characteristics or background, (2) workplace environment, and (3) societal environment. Consequences include (1) nurses’ physical and psychological status, (2) work-related perceptions, and (3) professionalism.
Conclusion: Nursing decent work is closely linked to societal policies and organizational practices that protect nurses’ labor rights and strengthen workforce sustainability. Continued research is needed to further explore nurses’ subjective perspectives on decent work and to validate the causal pathways embedded in the conceptual framework.
Notes
Extensive reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Non-member
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Literature Review
Research Approach
Other
Keywords:
Quality of Working Life, Work Environment, Job Satisfaction, Nursing as a Profession, Workforce, Policy and Advocacy, Theory
Recommended Citation
Young, Mu-Hsi Deborah and Yang, Chiu-Yueh, "Decent Work in Nursing: A Walker and Avant Concept Analysis" (2026). International Nursing Research Congress (INRC). 127.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/inrc/2026/presentations_2026/127
Conference Name
37th International Nursing Research Congress
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Conference Year
2026
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. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-08-05
Decent Work in Nursing: A Walker and Avant Concept Analysis
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Background: Although the WHO and the International Labour Organization have repeatedly emphasized the importance of promoting decent work to ensure a sustainable nursing workforce, the concept of decent work within nursing remains insufficiently defined, creating challenges for implementation.
Objective: The purpose of this article is to analyze the concept of decent work in nursing.
Method: A literature review was conducted following Walker and Avant’s concept analysis method. Searches were performed in PubMed, EBSCOhost (including CINAHL Complete, CINAHL Ultimate, MEDLINE, APA PsycArticles, and APA PsycINFO), ProQuest, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and Airiti Library through April 2025.
Result: Twenty studies were included to identify the attributes, antecedents, and consequences of decent work in nursing. The defining attributes include the assurance of human rights as a foundational motivation in the workplace, the satisfaction of work-related needs, and the subjective experience of being valued and recognized. Antecedents encompass (1) personal characteristics or background, (2) workplace environment, and (3) societal environment. Consequences include (1) nurses’ physical and psychological status, (2) work-related perceptions, and (3) professionalism.
Conclusion: Nursing decent work is closely linked to societal policies and organizational practices that protect nurses’ labor rights and strengthen workforce sustainability. Continued research is needed to further explore nurses’ subjective perspectives on decent work and to validate the causal pathways embedded in the conceptual framework.
Description
Nursing workforce sustainability is challenged by the unclear concept of decent work, which this study clarifies using Walker and Avant’s concept analysis. Findings emphasize human rights, work-related needs, and subjective recognition, as well as effects on nurses’ well-being, work perceptions, and professionalism. This analysis provides a foundation for promoting decent work across policy and practice, and highlights the need for better measurements and causal validation.