PURPOSE: To investigate the correlation between work engagement and self-efficacy among nurse case managers (NCMs) in China, analyzing the influencing factors and their implications for enhancing professional development and health care service quality. PRIMARY PRACTICE SETTINGS: The research was conducted in a Chinese hospital with NCMs position and training. METHODOLOGY AND SAMPLE: A cross-sectional design was used to recruit 76 NCMs through convenience sampling. The participants were registered nurses with at least 12 months of case management experience. Data were collected via online surveys, including demographic questionnaires, the NCM Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and the Chinese version of the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. Statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS 27.0. RESULTS: NCMs reported moderate levels of work engagement (73.42 ± 18.36) and self-efficacy (92.93 ± 14.56), with a significant positive correlation between them (r = 0.621, p < .001). Full-time NCMs exhibited higher scores in both constructs compared to part-time NCMs (p < .05). The workload had a significant impact on outcomes, with optimal self-efficacy observed at 11-20 new cases monthly. NCMs' major challenges included insufficient time/energy (86.8%), lack of institutional/departmental support (64.5%), and absence of dedicated positions (57.9%). Desired supports were hospital/leadership endorsement (94.7%), multidisciplinary collaboration (93.4%), and defined responsibilities (81.6%). IMPLICATIONS FOR CASE MANAGEMENT PRACTICE: The findings emphasize the need for systemic support, including establishing full-time NCM positions, optimizing workloads, and enhancing organizational support. Addressing these barriers can improve work engagement, self-efficacy, and service effectiveness, contributing to the sustainable development of case management in China's health care system.
Yuan et al. (Fri,) studied this question.