Career Capital and Work Engagement in ICU Nurses: The Potential Mediating Role of Career Calling-A Cross-Sectional Study.

AIM: This research sought to explore the potential mediating function of career calling in the association between career capital and work engagement among intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, using the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) framework.

BACKGROUND

The work engagement of ICU nurses is considered important for nursing quality and patient recovery outcomes. Although previous studies have indicated close relationships among career capital, career calling, and work engagement, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. The present research seeks to provide insights into this area.

DESIGN

A cross-sectional design.

METHODS

The STROBE reporting guidelines were utilized. A total of 269 ICU nurses were recruited from a tertiary general hospital using convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Career Capital Scale, Calling Scale-12 (CS-12), and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES). Confirmatory factor analysis and common method bias assessment were conducted using SPSS AMOS 24.0. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analysis were performed using SPSS 23.0. The significance of the mediating effect was tested using the PROCESS macro 4.1 plugin.

RESULTS

Both career capital and career calling were included in the regression model, accounting for 66.1% of the variance in work engagement. Career capital showed significant direct and indirect effects on work engagement, suggesting a partial mediating role of career calling in the relationship between career capital and work engagement.

CONCLUSION

Higher levels of career capital among ICU nurses were associated with stronger intrinsic motivation, a greater sense of professional meaning and work value, and higher career calling. This pathway may be important for understanding work engagement.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Policymakers and managers may consider implementing ICU-specific training (e.g., ACLS and ECMO), structured debriefings, peer support, and mentorship as potential strategies to support clinical competence, psychological safety, and career calling. These measures might be related to work engagement and nursing care quality, though causal inferences cannot be drawn from this cross-sectional study.