Longitudinal relationships between workplace social capital, career calling and work engagement among nurses: a three-wave cross-lagged study

Background Nurses experience substantial occupational strain, including burnout and turnover intention, underscoring the need to better understand factors related to their occupational well-being. This study examined the reciprocal longitudinal relationships among workplace social capital, career calling, and work engagement in nurses. Methods A three-wave survey was conducted among 470 nurses from a tertiary hospital in Hebei Province, China. Workplace social capital, career calling, and work engagement were measured at six-month intervals using validated scales. Cross-lagged panel models were used to examine time-ordered associations and longitudinal mediation effects among the three variables, adjusting for covariates. Results Workplace social capital and career calling were significantly associated with higher subsequent levels of work engagement across waves. Work engagement was, in turn, associated with later levels of workplace social capital and career calling. Career calling partially mediated the longitudinal association between workplace social capital and work engagement. Additionally, workplace social capital was positively associated with subsequent career calling, and indirect associations involving work engagement were observed. Conclusions This study indicates a dynamic and interconnected pattern of longitudinal associations among workplace social capital, career calling, and work engagement in nurses. Work engagement appears to play an important linking role between workplace social capital and career calling over time, rather than functioning solely as an outcome variable. Interventions targeting any one of these domains may therefore have broader implications within this interconnected system.