Aim To critically review empirical research about work engagement in nursing and to synthesise the findings to better understand this construct. Background Empirical research shows that engagement is positively related to work performance, workers’ health and client loyalty in different professions. It is, therefore, necessary to increase our understanding about engagement in nursing. Evaluation An integrative literature search was conducted to identify articles and studies on work engagement in nursing that were published between January 1990 and December 2013 in the following databases: PsycINFO, MEDLINE and CINAHL. Key issues The factors that influence engagement were divided into four areas of analysis: organisational antecedents; individual antecedents; and factors related to managers’ leadership and outcomes of engagement. Conclusion There is clear evidence that the quality of care by nurses improves through engagement. However, this depends on contextual factors such as structural empowerment and social support and on dispositional factors such as efficacy and optimism. It is also evident that nurse managers are key to promoting engagement. Implications for nursing management Nursing managers and leaders may promote improvements in leadership behaviours and a context of optimism and self‐efficacy as a way of increasing work engagement.

Work-related stress is a prevalent condition in the nursing profession, and its influence may vary according to changeable individual and situational factors. It is, therefore, important to investigate the real-time momentary changes in these factors and their relationship to emotional exhaustion experienced by nurses. We aim to analyse how their perceptions of demand, control, effort and reward change according to the task performed through real-time assessment and interact with the emotional exhaustion level of ward nurses. The research design was longitudinal. A three-level hierarchical model with a repeated measures design was used to assess the momentary self-reports of 96 hospital ward nurses, completed using a smartphone programmed with random alarms. Findings show that demand, effort, and control appraisals depend on the task performed. The task appraised as most demanding, effortful, and controllable was direct care. Reward appraisal depends on the task performed and personal variables, i.e. emotional exhaustion. The situations perceived as more rewarding were rest and direct care. Momentary hedonic tone can be explained by the task performed, demand, reward, emotional exhaustion and by the interaction between emotional exhaustion and demand appraisal. Momentary fatigue can be explained by the task performed, demand, reward, and the emotional exhaustion. This study highlights the importance of using momentary measures to understand complex and changeable inter-relationships. While also clarifying the targets of intervention programmes aimed at preventing burnout within the nursing profession.