Abstract
The study investigated whether job demands and job resources predict work engagement of public and private sector nurses. The sample comprised of 420 South African nurses, (females = 88.8%, employed in the private sector = 61.8%; mean age 38 years, SD = 9.50 years). They self-reported on surveys of job demands (emotional demands, role ambiguity, and workplace violence), job resources (meaningful work, autonomy, career advancement opportunities, and leader–member exchange), and work engagement. Multiple regression analysis revealed that job resources (meaningful work, leader–member exchange, and career advancement) predicted work engagement of nurses in private hospitals; job demands (emotional demands) and job resources (meaningful work and career advancement) predicted work engagement among nurses in public hospitals. Meaningful work as a job resource accounted for the most variance in the work engagement of both the public and private nurses. Emotional demands was the only demand that accounted for variance in the public sector nurses work engagement. Career advancement also accounted for variance in both sets of nurses work engagement. Role ambiguity, workplace violence and autonomy showed no prediction of work engagement. Leader member exchange only accounted for variance in the work engagement of the private sector nurses. Meaningful work is a job resource that can be leveraged to enhance and increase work engagement levels of both public and private sector nurses.