Influencing Factors of Nurses’ Work Engagement and Job Burnout in the Context of ICT Use: A Perspective from COR Theory

Background: Work engagement and burnout are two of the most significant work states in nurses. The increasing prevalence of information and communication technologies (ICT) in the workplace means that nurses are required not only to actively embrace technological advancements for their own well-being and to enhance the quality of nursing care, but also to simultaneously learn to cope with the mental and physical health issues arising from ICT use. Nevertheless, research on the work status of Chinese nurses in the context of ICT demands remains scant, particularly in large-sample, multi-center empirical studies. Methods: Our study aims to develop and evaluate a predictive model for nurses’ work engagement and job burnout with wide application of ICT. A cross-sectional survey of Chinese nurses (N=1612) was conducted from January to February 2024. Demographic information, work-related information, and resource-related scales were collected. Descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analyses were used to compare the intergroup differences and examine the relationships linking participants’ demographic and work-related variables to work engagement and job burnout. LASSO regression models were performed to identify salient variables associated with work engagement and job burnout among the demographic and work-related factors. Results: The LASSO regression model of nurses' work engagement includes seven explanatory variables, of which the ones that pass the significance test are harmonious work passion, positive affect, and self-efficacy. The LASSO regression model of nurses' job burnout included 9 variables, of which the statistically significant ones were ego depletion, negative affect, job insecurity, and ICT demands. Conclusions: This study makes three innovative contributions. First, it identified three key resources that significantly related to nurses' work engagement. Second, it pinpointed four principal stressors that contribute to nurses’ burnout. Third, it distinguished between the two concepts of work engagement and burnout and examined the differentiated factors that influence them, thereby providing a nuanced understanding of the distinct mechanisms at play. Study registration details: This study was approved by the ethics committees of all the collaborating hospitals. This study has passed ethical review by China Medical University, and the review number is [2023] 079.