Background: Work engagement (WE) is defined as a positive, fulfilling, and work-related state of mind. Enhancing WE leads to positive outcomes in both individuals and organizations. Although cultural factors may influence the antecedents and outcomes of WE, no reviews summarized these factors among nurses, mainly in Asia. This review aimed to identify the antecedents and outcomes of WE among nurses in Japan. This may offer novel insights into the influencing factors on WE. Methods: A literature search was conducted using six data sources: PubMed, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, Business Source Premier, Ichushi-Web, and CiNii. A total of 38 studies met the inclusion criteria. Studies that included registered nurses and/or midwives at hospitals or facilities were included in this review. The antecedents and outcomes were classified into four themes based on the job demands–resources model (JD-R model). Findings: Many variables in three components of the JD-R model (i.e., job resources, personal resources, and favorable outcomes) exhibited positive relationships with WE as theorized. Many other variables in job demands demonstrated negative relationships with WE as hypothesized. Many factors that were identified in this review were consistent with the JD-R model. The model in turn was found to be applicable among nurses. The antecedents and outcomes in this review were similar to those in previous studies in Western countries, while this review also revealed teamwork nursing as a possible antecedent of WE, which has not previously been reported. Conclusion/Application to Practice: Improving job resources (e.g., teamwork nursing) and personal resources may effectively enhance WE among Japanese nurses.

While previous studies have examined antecedents and outcomes of work engagement among general nurses, studies among psychiatric nurses remain limited. This study aimed to explore the antecedents (i.e., job crafting and nursing practice environment) and outcomes (i.e., strength-oriented care attitudes, mental health, and turnover intention) of work engagement among psychiatric nurses in Japan. This cross-sectional study included 309 nurses from three psychiatric hospitals in Japan (valid response rate: 60.4%). Data collection using the self-administered questionnaire took place from July to August 2021. We performed Structural Equation Modeling to examine the directional relationships among variables. Job crafting (β = 0.57, p < 0.01) and nursing practice environment (β = 0.23, p = 0.01) exhibited positive effects on work engagement. Work engagement had positive effects on strength-oriented care attitudes (β = 0.15, p = 0.04) and mental health (β = 0.37, p < 0.01) as well as negative effects on intention to resign from their profession as a nurse (β = −0.17, p = 0.01). Job crafting and a healthier nursing practice environment could help enhance work engagement. Higher work engagement could contribute to improving strength-oriented care attitudes, mental health, and intention to resign from their profession as a nurse.

The effectiveness of a corrosion repair technique consisting of laser cleaning and cold spraying was investigated. The effect of laser pulse frequency on the removal of surface corrosion on steel specimens was analyzed. Subsequently, a zinc coating was cold-sprayed on specimens cleaned of surface corrosion using conventional disc grinder and laser methods. Furthermore, salt spray tests were conducted to compare the corrosion protection performance of the zinc coating on these specimens. The results showed that laser cleaning can effectively remove surface corrosion and that a laser pulse frequency of 15 kHz is more effective than that of 40 kHz for removing the surface oxide layer. A comparison of cold-sprayed zinc coatings on laser-cleaned and non-treated specimens indicated that surface oxidation during laser treatment may negatively affect zinc deposition efficiency. The zinc coating on the laser-cleaned specimen was more than twice as thick as that on the conventionally cleaned specimen, and the coating–specimen interface maintained good adhesion after a 168 h salt spray test. Although no corrosion was observed in both steel specimens after the salt spray test, cracking of the remaining corroded areas on the substrate and delamination of the coating occurred in the conventionally cleaned specimen. This Paper was Originally Published in Japanese in J. Jpn. Thermal Spray Soc. 59 (2022) 137–143.