Int Nurs Rev. 2026 Mar;73(1):e70155. doi: 10.1111/inr.70155.
ABSTRACT
AIM: This study aimed to investigate work engagement and its association with ethical climate among Jordanian nurses in the emergency department.
BACKGROUND: Work engagement and ethical climate are critical factors for emergency nurses who work in high-pressure environments that require rapid clinical and ethical decision-making.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data were collected from a sample of 650 emergency nurses in Jordan from March to May 2025. Measures comprised the Ethical Climate Questionnaire (ECQ), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale 9 (UWES-9), and sociodemographic variables. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was used to analyze the data.
RESULTS: The participants reported moderate levels of both satisfaction with the ethical climate and work engagement. A positive correlation existed between ethical climate and work engagement. Higher levels of work engagement correlated with participants who were female, single, divorced or widowed, employed in the private sector, and had lower monthly income. Five models resulted from the hierarchical multiple regression. They indicated that ethical climate, monthly income, marital status, and gender accounted for a meaningful proportion of variance in work engagement in this sample. Ethical climate was the strongest factor associated with work engagement.
CONCLUSION: Enhancing the ethical climate within emergency departments could be an effective strategy for strengthening nurses’ work engagement and sustaining workforce performance.
IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Nursing managers should promote ethical dialogue, supportive supervision, continuous training, and equitable workplace practices to strengthen work engagement among emergency nurses.
IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND/OR HEALTH POLICY: Healthcare policymakers should support ethical workplace policies, inclusive leadership development, and organizational empowerment to enhance an ethical climate in emergency departments.
PMID:41693374 | DOI:10.1111/inr.70155
