Workaholism, engagement and family interaction: Comparative study in portuguese and spanish nurses

Aim To identify and compare workaholism, engagement and family interaction levels among Portuguese and Spanish nurses. Background The contribution of nursing management and leadership to workers' health and well-being is cardinal to ensure a healthy work environment. However, factors such as workaholism, engagement and family interaction can strongly influence nurses' performance, well-being and safety. Method A multicentre, comparative and cross-sectional study using 333 Portuguese (54.1%) and Spanish (45.9%) nurses working in hospitals. Results Portuguese nurses showed higher levels for workaholism, negative work-family interaction and negative family-work interaction, while Spanish nurses presented higher levels of engagement, positive work-family interaction and positive family-work interaction. Gender, age, job experience time, academic training, working schedule and type of employment contract influenced workaholism, engagement and work-family interaction among nurses from both countries. Conclusion During their professional practice, nurses perceived their stress differently according to each country, with Portuguese nurses presenting worst psychological conditions than Spanish nurses, namely higher workaholism, negative work-family interactions and lower engagement. Implications for Nursing Management Workaholism, engagement and work-family interaction are important areas in which nursing managers must invest to better respond to the new challenges of work contexts.