Effectiveness of the Luthans’s Psychological Program on Job Engagement of Nursing Staff

Background and Objectives: One of the significant concepts considered by organizations is job engagement, which has been able to cover variables, namely, job engagement, motivation, and commitment. The present study aimed at investigating the effect of Luthans's psychological program on job engagement among nursing staff. Methods: In the present semi-experimental study, 64 nursing staff working at 22nd of Bahman Hospital in Khaf, during year 2017, with the inclusion criteria, were selected through convenience sampling and randomly assigned to the experimental group (N = 32) and the control group (N = 32). The training program of Luthans’s Psychological Capital was presented in ten 2-hour sessions (two sessions a week) for the experimental group and the control group did not receive any intervention. The instruments for data collection included a demographic form and work engagement scale, developed by Schaufeli and Salanova (2001). Data were analyzed using SPSS-22 software, independent t-test, pairwise t-test, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-square, Fisher exact test, and two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: No significant difference was found between the mean score of general job engagement and its components before the intervention in the staff of the experimental and control groups (P > 0.05). In the staff of the experimental group, after the intervention, the mean score of general job engagement and its components was significantly higher than before (P < 0.05), whereas no significant difference was observed in the control group before and after the intervention (P < 0.05). The mean variations in general job engagement score and its components before and after the intervention were significantly higher in the staff of the experimental group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Based on the results of the present study, it is recommended to lay the groundwork for promoting job engagement and thus increase nurses’ job engagement, using the psychological capital training program for nurses.