From psychological resilience to work engagement: a chain mediation of cognitive reappraisal and self-efficacy in nurses
TL;DR
The findings provide a theoretical basis for the mechanism of nurses' psychological resilience on work engagement and should pay attention to nurses' psychological resilience and enhance their cognitive reappraisal and general self-efficacy levels through interventions to further promote their work engagement levels.
Abstract
To explore the associations between psychological resilience and work engagement among nurses, and to investigate the potential chain mediating roles of cognitive reappraisal and general self-efficacy. Using a cross-sectional study design, this research employed the Psychological Resilience Scale, the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, the General Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale as assessment instruments. A total of 424 nurses from tertiary hospitals were recruited through a total population sampling method to complete the questionnaire survey. Age and professional rank were incorporated as covariates in the statistical analyses. The Cronbach's α coefficients for all scales ranged from 0.833 to 0.951, indicating satisfactory internal consistency reliability. Psychological resilience was significantly and positively correlated with cognitive reappraisal ( r = 0.685, P < 0.01), general self-efficacy ( r = 0.775, P < 0.01), and work engagement ( r = 0.673, P < 0.01). The total effect of psychological resilience on work engagement was significant (β = 0.666, P < 0.001). The direct effect (β = 0.232, P < 0.001) and the total indirect effect (β = 0.434, 95% CI: 0.336–0.525) were both significant, the total indirect effect (β = 0.434) mediated 65.17% of the total effect (β = 0.666). Specifically, cognitive reappraisal (indirect effect = 0.112, 95% CI: 0.049–0.175) and general self-efficacy (indirect effect = 0.226, 95% CI: 0.161–0.282) independently mediated this relationship, and together served as a sequential chain (indirect effect = 0.097, 95% CI: 0.061–0.138). The findings provide a theoretical basis for the mechanism of nurses' psychological resilience on work engagement. Managers should pay attention to nurses' psychological resilience and enhance their cognitive reappraisal and general self-efficacy levels through interventions to further promote their work engagement levels.