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Effects of Co-worker and Supervisor Support on Nurses’ Energy and Motivation through Role Ambiguity and Psychological Flexibility

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 May 2019

Luis Manuel Blanco-Donoso ,
Bernardo Moreno-Jiménez ,
Gladis Pereira  and
Eva Garrosa
Luis Manuel Blanco-Donoso*
Affiliation:
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Bernardo Moreno-Jiménez
Affiliation:
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Gladis Pereira
Affiliation:
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
Eva Garrosa
Affiliation:
Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Luis Manuel Blanco Donoso. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Departamento de Psicología Biológica y de la Salud. E-mail. Madrid (Spain). E-mail: luismanuel.blanco@uam.es
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Abstract

One of the job resources most strongly associated with nurses’ well-being and motivation is social support. However, the psychosocial mechanisms that would explain this relationship have not been sufficiently researched. Thus, the main aim of this study was analyze whether this relationship could be mediated by two variables: role ambiguity and psychological flexibility. A total of 196 nurses from various Spanish hospitals and primary health care centers participated in this cross-sectional study. A multiple mediation analysis was run using the “PROCESS” macro script in SPSS 23.0. The results showed that co-worker support was related to higher levels of vigor and vitality through role ambiguity (Estimate = .158, 95% CI [.050, .298], and Estimate = .212, 95% CI [.076, .390], respectively). The same applied to supervisor support, (Estimate = .197, 95% CI [.059, .378], and Estimate = .212, 95% CI [.076, .390], respectively). Co-worker support was also related to higher levels of vigor and vitality through psychological flexibility, (Estimate = .132, 95% CI [.048, .271], and Estimate = .216, 95% CI [.086, .394], respectively). The same applied to supervisor support (Estimate = .092, 95% CI [.024, .208], and Estimate = .157, 95% CI [.035, .333], respectively). However, in the relationships between co-worker, supervisor support and exhaustion, only psychological flexibility played a mediating role. In conclusion, social support in nursing is a job resource that is associated with high levels of energy and motivation among nurses through the mediating role of certain job demands and personal resources.

Keywords

flexibilitynursesrole ambiguitysocial support
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 22 , 2019 , E25
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2019 

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Footnotes

This research was supported by a project from the Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (PSI2015-68011-R).

How to cite this article:

Blanco-Donoso, L. M., Moreno-Jiménez, B., Pereira, G., & Garrosa, E. (2019). Effects of co-worker and supervisor support on nurses’ energy and motivation through role ambiguity and psychological flexibility. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 22. e25. Doi:10.1017/sjp.2019.10

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