Relationship between Work Engagement and Autonomy among Nurses Who Obtained Certification for Gastroenterology Nurse

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to reveal the association between work engagement (WE) and autonomy among nurses certified as gastroenterological endoscopy technicians.

Methods: We conducted cross-sectional online survey among 1,000 nurses certified as gastroenterological endoscopy technicians. The survey items included personal attributes, job demands, job resources, endoscopy nursing characteristics, the Japanese version of the shortened version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES), and autonomy (professional autonomy scale for nurses).

Results: A total of 337 subjects (response rate of 33.7%) were included in the analysis. A multivariate logistic regression analysis, dividing WE into high and low groups and using personal attributes and job resources as independent variables, revealed that autonomy was statistically significantly associated with the high level of WE (odds ratio = 1.04, 95% confidence interval: 1.02–1.05, p < 0.001). There was an interaction where WE increased when the degree of autonomy was high and involvement with patients was sufficient (F,(1, 257) = 6.3, p = 0.013).

Conclusion: The results showed that there is a strong association between WE and autonomy among nurses certified as gastroenterological endoscopy technicians. Furthermore, a high degree of autonomy and sufficient involvement with patients were suggested to be influential in further increasing WE.