The impact of psychological capital on emergency and critical care nurses’ work engagement: the mediating effect of psychological resilience

Authors

  • Chaoliang Tang University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Department of Anesthesiology, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. - Anhui Provincial Cancer Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
  • Yuyan Wu University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Department of Anesthesiology, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. - Anhui Provincial Cancer Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. - Anhui Medical University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Department of Nursing, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
  • Kecai Xu AnHui Institute of Medicine, School of Nursing, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
  • Peili Xu Anhui Medical University, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Department of Nursing, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
  • Yefei Wang University of Science and Technology of China, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of University of Science and Technology of China, Department of Anesthesiology, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. - Anhui Provincial Cancer Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-220X-REEUSP-2025-0290en

Keywords:

Work Engagement, Resilience, Psychological, Mediation Analysis

Abstract

Objective: This study addresses this gap by examining how Psychological Capital directly impacts Work Engagement and how Psychological Resilience mediates this relationship among emergency and critical care nurses. Method: This study employed a cross-sectional survey design, utilizing random sampling to select 1,400 emergency and critical care nurses from 23 hospitals in China. Participants were asked to complete validated questionnaires measuring Psychological Capital, Psychological Resilience, and Work Engagement. Data were analyzed using Pearson’s correlation and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test the direct effects of Psychological Resilience and its mediating effects in the relationship between Psychological Capital and Work Engagement. Results: The results showed that Psychological Capital positively influences Work Engagement among emergency and critical care nurses. Additionally, Psychological Resilience plays a significant mediating role in this relationship, suggesting that nurses with higher Psychological Capital are more engaged in their work, partly due to their enhanced resilience. Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights for improving emergency and critical care nurses’ mental health and Work Engagement.

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Published

2026-04-03

Issue

Vol. 60 (2026)

Section

Original Article

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Chaoliang Tang, Yuyan Wu, Kecai Xu, Peili Xu, Yefei Wang

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Tang, C., Wu, Y., Xu, K., Xu, P., & Wang, Y. (2026). The impact of psychological capital on emergency and critical care nurses’ work engagement: the mediating effect of psychological resilience. Revista Da Escola De Enfermagem Da USP, 60, e20250290. https://doi.org/10.1590/1980-220X-REEUSP-2025-0290en