"Engaged Nurses Are the Ones Who Love Their Profession": Work Engagement From the Perspectives of Oncology Nurses.

Abstract

Work engagement in oncology nurses is crucial for improving nurse practice and healthcare outcomes. The study aimed to define and understand work engagement from the perspective of experienced oncology clinical nurses. This qualitative descriptive study used purposive sampling to select 15 oncology nurses from a University Oncology Hospital in Türkiye. Participants had at least 3 years of experience and volunteered for the study. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a "Nurse Data Form" and a "Semi-structured Interview Form." The analysis identified six themes and 12 sub-themes. These themes include a sense of engagement, personal resources, organizational resources, professional resources, elements specific to the nature of oncology, and areas that need improvement. Sub-themes indicate that facilitators of work engagement included altruism, job satisfaction, teamwork, and nursing competencies. Nurses may require assistance in caring for patients with high psychosocial demands, long-term care or repetitive hospitalizations. In conclusion, nurses emphasized the facilitating and challenging factors in work engagement in the oncology clinics. This study suggests that oncology nurses' work engagement can be enhanced by empowering them professionally, individually, and organizationally.