Job Crafting as the Missing Link: Understanding Its Role in Nurses' Work Engagement.

Aim: This study examined how nurses' positive psychological capital and positive work environment influence work engagement and investigated the mediating role of job crafting in these relationships. Background: Nurses' work engagement is essential for achieving hospital goals, as it directly impacts patient care quality and organizational performance. While both personal resources such as positive psychological capital and job resources such as a positive work environment influence work engagement, the mechanisms underlying these relationships remain unclear. This study focuses on job crafting as a key mechanism linking these factors to work engagement. Methods: This descriptive correlational study analyzed data from 243 registered nurses working in general hospitals in South Korea. A path analysis was used to test a hypothesized model. Results: Both positive psychological capital (β = 0.376, p < 0.001) and a positive work environment (β = 0.279, p < 0.001) had significant positive effects on nurses' work engagement. Job crafting partially mediated the relationship between positive psychological capital and work engagement (β = 0.147, 95% confidence interval (CI) = [0.086, 0.221]) as well as the relationship between a positive work environment and work engagement (β = 0.029, 95% CI = [0.004, 0.070]). Conclusion: Nurses with higher positive psychological capital and those working in a positive work environment are more likely to be involved in job crafting, which in turn enhances their work engagement. These findings suggest that both individual and organizational strategies are essential in promoting individual nurses' job crafting and work engagement. Implications for Nursing Management: Nursing management should cultivate a positive work environment and provide opportunities for professional growth to improve nurses' job crafting and work engagement. Strategies such as adequate staffing, managerial support, and autonomy in decision-making can help sustain engagement, ultimately improving patient care and organizational performance.