Psychological capital mediates the association between nurses' practice environment and work engagement among Chinese male nurses

Abstract Objectives This study aims to investigate the environmental and individual factors contributing to male nursesu0027 psychological well-being and to explore the psychological mechanisms that may explain the links between nursesu0027 practice environment and work engagement, thereby presenting the implications for nurse managers. Methods A total of 161 male nurses from three tertiary first-class hospitals in Changsha City in China participated in the study. We collected the data using the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, the Psychological Capital Questionnaire, and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Results Scores of male nursesu0027 practice environment (2.88 ± 0.31), psychological capital (4.42 ± 0.62), and work engagement (3.17 ± 1.39) were all above the midpoint; however, the subscales “the nursing staffing and resources adequacy” (2.72 ± 0.48), “hope” (4.33 ± 0.72), and “dedication” (2.96 ± 1.61)scored lowest. Nursesu0027 practice environment and psychological capital positively predicted nursesu0027 work engagement; psychological capital fully mediated the influence of nursesu0027 practice environment on work engagement. Conclusions Creating a supportive nursing practice environment can increase male nursesu0027 work engagement by developing their psychological capital. Nurse managers can then provide reasonable workload and pathways for male nurses to achieve goals, thereby fostering their hope.