Purpose: To examine which types of recognition are most meaningful to critical care nurses and study the relationships of meaningful recognition with a healthy work environment and nurse engagement.
Design: A descriptive, correlational design was used for this research study.
Methods: Two hundred-two critical care nurses from an urban, teaching hospital in the southeastern US were invited to participate in the study. Data collection occurred in September and October 2014.
Results: Nurses report the most meaningful recognition is salary and schedule. However, the remaining four subscales of recognition were rated at a level between moderate and considerable and should be considered of value. A significant relationship was found between nurses' perceptions of global recognition and healthy work environments, r (74) = .510, p = < .01. Nurses’ perceptions of global recognition had a moderately, positive relationship with healthy work environments. A significant relationship was not found between nurses’ perceptions of a healthy work environment and engagement, r (74) = .101, p = .393.
Conclusion: Many forms of recognition are valuable and recognition is significant to a healthy work environment. However, motivators for engagement are more elusive and need further study.
","abstract_html":"<p><strong>Purpose</strong>: To examine which types of recognition are most meaningful to critical care nurses and study the relationships of meaningful recognition with a healthy work environment and nurse engagement.</p> <p><strong>Design</strong>: A descriptive, correlational design was used for this research study.</p> <p><strong>Methods</strong>: Two hundred-two critical care nurses from an urban, teaching hospital in the southeastern US were invited to participate in the study. Data collection occurred in September and October 2014.</p> <p><strong>Results</strong>: Nurses report the most meaningful recognition is salary and schedule. However, the remaining four subscales of recognition were rated at a level between moderate and considerable and should be considered of value. A significant relationship was found between nurses' perceptions of global recognition and healthy work environments, <em>r</em> (74) = .510, p = < .01. Nurses’ perceptions of global recognition had a moderately, positive relationship with healthy work environments. A significant relationship was not found between nurses’ perceptions of a healthy work environment and engagement, <em>r</em> (74) = .101, <em>p</em> = .393.</p> <p><strong>Conclusion</strong>: Many forms of recognition are valuable and recognition is significant to a healthy work environment. However, motivators for engagement are more elusive and need further study.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Willingham, Ann Rachel"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) - Advanced Care Management and Leadership","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Nursing","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Dr. Patricia L. Hart","Ms. Nancy Ballard"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2014,"date_issued":"2014-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2014-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:00Z","subjects":["healthy work environment","meaningful recognition","nurse engagement","job satisfaction","job retention","nursing shortage","patient outcomes","professional motivation","magnet hospital","nurse turnover","Medicine and Health Sciences","Nursing","Nursing Administration"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/652","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Dr. Patricia L. Hart","Ms. Nancy Ballard"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Willingham, Ann Rachel"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-12-10T08:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Nursing"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) - Advanced Care Management and Leadership"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["healthy work environment","meaningful recognition","nurse engagement","job satisfaction","job retention","nursing shortage","patient outcomes","professional motivation","magnet hospital","nurse turnover","Medicine and Health Sciences","Nursing","Nursing Administration"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/652"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Purpose: To examine which types of recognition are most meaningful to critical care nurses and study the relationships of meaningful recognition with a healthy work environment and nurse engagement.
Design: A descriptive, correlational design was used for this research study.
Methods: Two hundred-two critical care nurses from an urban, teaching hospital in the southeastern US were invited to participate in the study. Data collection occurred in September and October 2014.
Results: Nurses report the most meaningful recognition is salary and schedule. However, the remaining four subscales of recognition were rated at a level between moderate and considerable and should be considered of value. A significant relationship was found between nurses' perceptions of global recognition and healthy work environments, r (74) = .510, p = < .01. Nurses’ perceptions of global recognition had a moderately, positive relationship with healthy work environments. A significant relationship was not found between nurses’ perceptions of a healthy work environment and engagement, r (74) = .101, p = .393.
Conclusion: Many forms of recognition are valuable and recognition is significant to a healthy work environment. However, motivators for engagement are more elusive and need further study.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Meaningful Recognition in a Healthy Work Environment for Nurse Engagement in a Critical Care Setting"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Dr. Patricia L. Hart","Ms. Nancy Ballard"],"dc:creator":["Willingham, Ann Rachel"],"dc:date.available":["2014-12-10T08:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Purpose: To examine which types of recognition are most meaningful to critical care nurses and study the relationships of meaningful recognition with a healthy work environment and nurse engagement.
Design: A descriptive, correlational design was used for this research study.
Methods: Two hundred-two critical care nurses from an urban, teaching hospital in the southeastern US were invited to participate in the study. Data collection occurred in September and October 2014.
Results: Nurses report the most meaningful recognition is salary and schedule. However, the remaining four subscales of recognition were rated at a level between moderate and considerable and should be considered of value. A significant relationship was found between nurses' perceptions of global recognition and healthy work environments, r (74) = .510, p = < .01. Nurses’ perceptions of global recognition had a moderately, positive relationship with healthy work environments. A significant relationship was not found between nurses’ perceptions of a healthy work environment and engagement, r (74) = .101, p = .393.
Conclusion: Many forms of recognition are valuable and recognition is significant to a healthy work environment. However, motivators for engagement are more elusive and need further study.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/etd/652"],"dc:subject":["healthy work environment","meaningful recognition","nurse engagement","job satisfaction","job retention","nursing shortage","patient outcomes","professional motivation","magnet hospital","nurse turnover","Medicine and Health Sciences","Nursing","Nursing Administration"],"dc:title":["Meaningful Recognition in a Healthy Work Environment for Nurse Engagement in a Critical Care Setting"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Nursing"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) - Advanced Care Management and Leadership"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:00Z"}