Shared Governance and Work Engagement in Emergency Nurses

Abstract

Introduction: Lack of work engagement in emergency nurses has been linked to increased job turnover, burnout, and lack of job satisfaction. Shared governance is a vehicle that can be used by emergency nursing leaders to increase work engagement among emergency nurses. Research is lacking about the relationship between perceptions of shared governance and work engagement in emergency nurses. In this study we examined the relationship between ED nurses' perceptions of shared governance and work engagement.

Methods: A descriptive correlation design was used with a convenience sample of 43 emergency nurses recruited through the ENA Web site. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire, the Index of Professional Nursing Governance Tool, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale.

Results: The mean total work engagement score indicated average engagement (M = 4.4, standard deviation = 1.2). A significant positive relationship was found between shared governance and work engagement, indicating that as perceptions of shared governance increase, work engagement increases (r (41) = 0.62, P < .001).

Discussion: The study provides beginning evidence on the relationship of shared governance and work engagement in emergency nurses. Understanding the relationship between perceptions of shared governance and work engagement in emergency nurses may assist emergency nursing leaders in developing and testing interventions to enhance it.

Keywords: Emergency nurses; Shared governance; Work engagement.