Latent profiles of job demands and job resources and their association with work wellbeing among nurses in South Korea

The identification of underlying profiles of nurses exhibiting different patterns of job demands (JD) and job resources (JR) is critical for developing targeted interventions that promote healthy work practices and enhance overall well-being within the nursing working population. This study aimed to adopt a person-centered approach to investigate patterns of JD and JR and their association with job burnout, work engagement, and general well-being among Korean nurses. Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from the Sixth Korean Working Conditions Survey. In total, 449 nurses were included in the analysis. Preliminary measurement models were assessed, and latent profile analysis was used to extract job profiles. Finally, we investigated the association between the profiles and work-related well-being. Five latent profiles best represented JD/JR configurations: low demanding job (9.7%), poor job (6.6%), balanced job (42.7%), demanding job (21.4%), and severely demanding job (19.5%). In addition, the highest levels of perceived well-being were reported in relation to low demanding and poor job profiles, whereas poor and severely demanding job profiles were associated with a higher risk of low work engagement and high physical and emotional exhaustion. In this study, the findings showed that nurses in demanding or severely demanding work profiles experienced more emotional and physical exhaustion than those in low demanding or poor work profiles. Work engagement was lowest in severely demanding profiles, whereas perceived well-being was highest among nurses in the low demanding work environments. The study findings can be used to support nurse managers and administrators in developing strategies to reduce JD while maintaining an average level of JR support.