Empathic nurses with sufficient job resources are work-engaged professionals who deliver more individualized care.

AIMS: This study examined whether nurse work engagement mediated the associations of job resources (collegial support and autonomy) and a personal resource (empathy) with individualized care delivery, in both hospital and long-term care settings. We also explored potential setting-specific differences in how strongly the resources were associated with work engagement and individualized care delivery among nurses. DESIGN: We conducted a cross-sectional study in three hospitals and two long-term care facilities. METHODS: In total, 454 nurses completed a web-based survey including validated measures on resources (collegial support, autonomy, empathy), work engagement and individualized care delivery. Data were analysed using mediation and moderated mediation analyses. RESULTS: In both settings, all resources were indirectly associated with individualized care delivery via work engagement. Empathy was also directly associated with individualized care delivery, and a stronger association was found in the long-term care setting than in the hospital setting. CONCLUSION: The present study showed work engagement to mediate the associations of job resources and empathy with individualized care delivery in both hospital and long-term care settings. Individualized care delivery was furthermore directly facilitated by high levels of empathy, especially among nurses working in long-term care settings. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: Patients may benefit from better individualized care delivery by empathic nurses who are more work-engaged in the face of sufficient job resources in their practice environment. IMPACT: Nurses are better able to deliver individualized care when provided with sufficient job resources (collegial support and autonomy) that support their being work-engaged professionals. Furthermore, empathic nurses also reported being able to better support patient individuality. These findings can be translated to policies of hospitals and long-term care facilities, to optimize job resources and enhance empathy and thus facilitate the support of patient individuality by nurses. REPORTING METHOD: This study adhered to the STROBE guidelines. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: Nurses were involved in the design and data collection of the study.