A concept analysis of ‘Meaning in work’ and its implications for nursing

Soohee Lee

doi:10.1111/jan.12695

journal article May 26, 2015

A concept analysis of ‘Meaning in work’ and its implications for nursing

Soohee Lee

Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 71 No. 10 pp. 2258-2267 · Wiley

View at Publisher Save 10.1111/jan.12695

Abstract

AbstractAimTo report an analysis of the concept of ‘meaning in work’.BackgroundAssociated with initiatives to improve the quality of working life and the emerging movement of positive organizations, ‘meaning in work’ has been studied as a positive individual‐level state. ‘Meaning in work’ has potential benefits that will improve the nursing workforce if this concept is embraced in nursing. However, the concept is not clearly defined because it has been approached from diverse theoretical perspectives and used interchangeably with analogous terms.DesignA concept analysis.Data sourcesThree key terms (using ‘work’, ‘meaning’ or ‘meaningful’, ‘meaning of work’, ‘logotherapy’) were searched in theCINAHL, PsycINFO, Business Source Complete andABI/INFORMGlobal online databases from January 1940–March 2015. Among 346 articles retrieved, 28 studies were included for this concept analysis.MethodsThe procedure of concept analysis developed by Walker and Avant (2011) was used.ResultsFour critical attributes are identified: (1) experienced positive emotion at work; (2) meaning from work itself; (3) meaningful purpose and goals of work; and (4) work as a part of life that contributes towards meaningful existence. The identified antecedent of ‘meaning in work’ was a cognitive shift and the identified consequences were positive personal experience and positive impact on peers and organizations.ConclusionThis article provides a clear definition of ‘meaning in work’. The resulting coherent definition will facilitate the use of ‘meaning in work’ in nursing research.

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56

Citations

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References

Details

Published: May 26, 2015
Vol/Issue: 71(10)
Pages: 2258-2267
License: View

Authors

S

Soohee Lee

University of Michigan School of Nursing Ann Arbor Michigan USA

Cite This Article

Soohee Lee (2015). A concept analysis of ‘Meaning in work’ and its implications for nursing. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 71(10), 2258-2267. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.12695

A concept analysis of ‘Meaning in work’ and its implications for nursing

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