ICU Nurses Show Distinct Work Engagement Profiles

Researchers at the Second People’s Hospital of Yibin City in China have identified two distinct latent profiles of work engagement among intensive care unit nurses. The study, published in Frontiers in Psychology, utilized a cross-sectional survey design to examine the heterogeneity of engagement patterns within this specific clinical population.

The investigation aimed to identify these latent profiles and examine the associated factors linked to different engagement categories. The study was conducted between July 2023 and January 2024, employing convenience sampling to recruit participants from the ICU.

Participants completed a demographic questionnaire along with several standardized psychometric instruments. These included the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), the Person–Organization Fit Assessment Scale, the Caring Assessment Tool—Administration (CAT-admin), and the Organizational Justice Scale.

Using latent profile analysis, the researchers identified two distinct groups among the ICU nurses. The first group, comprising 44.2% of the participants, was characterized as the Low Engagement–High Vigor Group. The second group, making up 55.8% of the sample, was identified as the High Engagement–Low Dedication Group.

Following the identification of these profiles, the study employed binary logistic regression to determine which factors significantly predicted membership in these engagement categories. The analysis revealed that the weekly frequency of proactive communication with head nurses was a significant predictor of work engagement.

Perceived managerial caring also emerged as a significant predictor of work engagement in the logistic regression models.

Additionally, perceived organizational justice was found to be a significant predictor of ICU nurses’ work engagement.

The study concludes that ICU nurses exhibit heterogeneous patterns of work engagement. The findings suggest that nursing managers can enhance engagement by strengthening managerial communication, fostering perceptions of caring leadership, and cultivating a fair and supportive organizational environment.

Subject of Research: Latent profiles of work engagement and associated organizational factors among ICU nurses

Article Title: Latent profile analysis and associated factors of work engagement among ICU nurses

Article References: Zhao, L., Zhao, D., Qiu, M., Chen, L., Feng, J., & Cai, L. (2026). Latent profile analysis and associated factors of work engagement among ICU nurses. Frontiers in Psychology, 17, Article 1734821. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1734821

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1734821

Keywords: ICU nurses, work engagement, latent profile analysis, organizational justice, managerial caring, healthcare management, nursing leadership, psychometrics, Latent, profile, analysis, associated