Exploring the Relationship between Work–Life Balance and Work Engagement among Staff Nurses at a Tertiary Care Centre: A Cross-Sectional Study

Authors

  • Kalaiyarasi Balakrishnan Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, SRM College of Nursing, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, 603203, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6933-9807
  • Helen Shaji John Cecily Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, SRM College of Nursing, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, 603203, Tamil Nadu, India https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3006-2029

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.31674/mjn.2026.v17i05.009

Abstract

Background: Work-life balance is the balance between work and personal life that is important for employee health and productivity. Nursing is a very stressful job, so keeping this balance helps nurses provide better care, stay healthy, and make their clients happier by doing better work and being more involved. Objectives: To identify the correlation between work-life balance and work engagement among the nursing staff in a tertiary care center. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was performed among 250 staff nurses chosen through convenience sampling from a tertiary care hospital. Data were gathered using the Work–Life Balance Scale and the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-17) and analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics methods. Results: The study determined that 48.8% of nurses reported a high level of work-life balance, and 32.8% had a moderate level. As for work engagement, 28.4% were very highly engaged and 23.6% highly engaged. The mean ± standard deviation of the work-life balance score was 62.58 ± 14.95, whereas the average work engagement score was 3.59 ± 1.71. There was a statistically significant moderate positive correlation between work-life balance and work engagement (r = 0.427, p < 0.001). Family type (p = 0.008) and number of children (p = 0.019) were significantly related to work-life balance, whereas gender was significantly associated with work engagement (p = 0.039). Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of promoting organizational policies and interventions, flexible scheduling, adequate staffing, and psychological support, which may enhance work-life balance and engagement, improve job satisfaction, and ensure quality care delivery.

Keywords:

Staff Nurses, Tertiary Care Center, Work Engagement, Work-Life Balance

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References

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Published

25-05-2026

How to Cite

Balakrishnan, K. ., & John Cecily, H. S. . (2026). Exploring the Relationship between Work–Life Balance and Work Engagement among Staff Nurses at a Tertiary Care Centre: A Cross-Sectional Study. The Malaysian Journal of Nursing (MJN), 17(5), 88-100. https://doi.org/10.31674/mjn.2026.v17i05.009

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