Time poverty status of medical and nursing staff in Suzhou City and its negative impact on their sense of work meaning

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the status of time poverty among medical and nursing staff in Suzhou City and its impact on their sense of work meaning，as well as to analyze the mediating mechanism of time poverty weakening their sense of work meaning by reducing intrinsic goals and increasing extrinsic goals. Methods A convenience sampling method was employed to conduct a questionnaire survey among 328 medical and nursing staff in Suzhou City from September 2024 to January 2025. The questionnaire included a time poverty scale，an intrinsic goals scale，an extrinsic goals scale，and a work meaning scale，and the data were analyzed. Results The average score for time poverty among 328 medical and nursing staff was （3.94±1.68）points，the average score for intrinsic goals was （5.45±0.81）points，the average score for extrinsic goals was （4.41±1.06）points，and the average score for work meaning was （5.35±0.89）points. There were statistically significant differences in the scores of time poverty among medical and nursing staff with different age，positions，professional titles，marital statuses，work locations，and subjective socioeconomic statuses（all P<0.05）. Time poverty was significantly negatively correlated with work meaning and intrinsic goals（r=-0.642，-0.668， both P<0.05），and positively correlated with extrinsic goals（r=0.273，P<0.05）. The direct effect of time poverty on work meaning was -0.390（P<0.05），and intrinsic goals partially mediated between time poverty and work meaning，with a mediation effect value of -0.166（P<0.05），accounting for 29.49% of the total effect. Conclusion Time poverty among medical and nursing staff not only directly diminishes their sense of work meaning but also indirectly weakens it by reducing intrinsic goals. Therefore，enhancing time management and fostering the establishment of intrinsic goals among medical and nursing staff may help mitigate the adverse impact of time poverty on work meaning.

Key words: Medical and nursing staff, Time poverty, Intrinsic goals, Extrinsic goals, Work meaning, Mediation effect

CLC Number:

R181.31

ZHU Lijuan, XIONG Meijuan. Time poverty status of medical and nursing staff in Suzhou City and its negative impact on their sense of work meaning. [J]OCCUPATION AND HEALTH, 2026, 42(11): 1534-1538.

Figures/Tables 5

References 26

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项目	条目	最低分	最高分	总分	条目均分
时间贫困	9	11.00	59.00	35.44±15.15	3.94±1.68
内在目标	3	9.00	21.00	16.35±2.43	5.45±0.81
外在目标	3	4.00	20.00	13.23±3.18	4.41±1.06
工作意义感	6	13.00	42.00	32.09±5.36	5.35±0.89

项目	条目	最低分	最高分	总分	条目均分
时间贫困	9	11.00	59.00	35.44±15.15	3.94±1.68
内在目标	3	9.00	21.00	16.35±2.43	5.45±0.81
外在目标	3	4.00	20.00	13.23±3.18	4.41±1.06
工作意义感	6	13.00	42.00	32.09±5.36	5.35±0.89

项目	人数	时间贫困	内在目标	外在目标	工作意义感
性别
男	108	3.97±1.73	5.44±0.83	4.38±1.06	5.35±0.81
女	220	3.92±1.66	5.46±0.80	4.43±1.06	5.35±0.93
t值		0.242	-0.219	-0.345	0.068
P		>0.05	>0.05	>0.05	>0.05
年龄（岁）
0~<30	50	4.70±1.40	5.24±0.73	4.56±1.04	4.85±0.99
30~<40	211	3.76±1.76	5.50±0.84	4.36±1.08	5.44±0.91
≥40	67	3.92±1.50	5.45±0.76	4.46±1.02	5.42±0.60
F值		6.433	2.066	0.785	9.562
P		<0.05	>0.05	>0.05	<0.05
最高学历
本科及以下	58	4.02±1.66	5.38±0.83	4.54±0.88	5.19±0.98
硕士	135	3.82±1.75	5.51±0.81	4.40±1.16	5.47±0.89
博士及以上	135	3.99±1.65	5.43±0.80	4.36±1.04	5.31±0.86
F值		0.889	0.802	0.387	1.711
P		>0.05	>0.05	>0.05	>0.05
职位
医生	215	3.78±1.69	5.51±0.81	4.38±1.07	5.42±0.82
护士	113	4.24±1.65	5.33±0.80	4.47±1.05	5.21±1.01
t值		-2.332	1.987	-0.747	1.862
P		<0.05	<0.05	>0.05	>0.05
职称等级
初级	143	5.25±1.05	5.00±0.69	4.62±0.92	4.86±0.83
中级	141	3.06±1.28	5.74±0.73	4.38±0.99	5.62±0.73
高级	44	2.48±1.46	5.96±0.70	3.84±1.44	6.06±0.72
F值		153.184	52.546	9.776	55.496
P		<0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05
工作地点
乡镇	138	3.65±1.69	5.49±0.80	4.43±1.08	5.34±0.98
城市	190	4.15±1.65	5.42±0.82	4.39±1.05	5.35±0.83
t值		-2.652	0.739	0.337	-0.096
P		<0.05	>0.05	>0.05	>0.05
婚姻状况
未婚	93	4.23±1.59	5.36±0.74	4.39±1.06	5.05±1.01
已婚	235	3.82±1.71	5.48±0.83	4.42±1.06	5.47±0.81
t值		2.061	-1.290	0.224	-3.887
P		<0.05	>0.05	>0.05	<0.05
主观社会经济地位
较低	27	4.68±1.71	5.10±0.97	4.84±0.76	4.56±1.12
一般	232	4.00±1.64	5.40±0.78	4.37±1.08	5.34±0.85
较高	69	3.46±1.72	5.74±0.76	4.40±1.06	5.69±0.74
F值		5.741	7.635	2.460	17.102
P		<0.05	<0.05	>0.05	<0.05

项目	人数	时间贫困	内在目标	外在目标	工作意义感
性别
男	108	3.97±1.73	5.44±0.83	4.38±1.06	5.35±0.81
女	220	3.92±1.66	5.46±0.80	4.43±1.06	5.35±0.93
t值		0.242	-0.219	-0.345	0.068
P		>0.05	>0.05	>0.05	>0.05
年龄（岁）
0~<30	50	4.70±1.40	5.24±0.73	4.56±1.04	4.85±0.99
30~<40	211	3.76±1.76	5.50±0.84	4.36±1.08	5.44±0.91
≥40	67	3.92±1.50	5.45±0.76	4.46±1.02	5.42±0.60
F值		6.433	2.066	0.785	9.562
P		<0.05	>0.05	>0.05	<0.05
最高学历
本科及以下	58	4.02±1.66	5.38±0.83	4.54±0.88	5.19±0.98
硕士	135	3.82±1.75	5.51±0.81	4.40±1.16	5.47±0.89
博士及以上	135	3.99±1.65	5.43±0.80	4.36±1.04	5.31±0.86
F值		0.889	0.802	0.387	1.711
P		>0.05	>0.05	>0.05	>0.05
职位
医生	215	3.78±1.69	5.51±0.81	4.38±1.07	5.42±0.82
护士	113	4.24±1.65	5.33±0.80	4.47±1.05	5.21±1.01
t值		-2.332	1.987	-0.747	1.862
P		<0.05	<0.05	>0.05	>0.05
职称等级
初级	143	5.25±1.05	5.00±0.69	4.62±0.92	4.86±0.83
中级	141	3.06±1.28	5.74±0.73	4.38±0.99	5.62±0.73
高级	44	2.48±1.46	5.96±0.70	3.84±1.44	6.06±0.72
F值		153.184	52.546	9.776	55.496
P		<0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.05
工作地点
乡镇	138	3.65±1.69	5.49±0.80	4.43±1.08	5.34±0.98
城市	190	4.15±1.65	5.42±0.82	4.39±1.05	5.35±0.83
t值		-2.652	0.739	0.337	-0.096
P		<0.05	>0.05	>0.05	>0.05
婚姻状况
未婚	93	4.23±1.59	5.36±0.74	4.39±1.06	5.05±1.01
已婚	235	3.82±1.71	5.48±0.83	4.42±1.06	5.47±0.81
t值		2.061	-1.290	0.224	-3.887
P		<0.05	>0.05	>0.05	<0.05
主观社会经济地位
较低	27	4.68±1.71	5.10±0.97	4.84±0.76	4.56±1.12
一般	232	4.00±1.64	5.40±0.78	4.37±1.08	5.34±0.85
较高	69	3.46±1.72	5.74±0.76	4.40±1.06	5.69±0.74
F值		5.741	7.635	2.460	17.102
P		<0.05	<0.05	>0.05	<0.05

项目	时间贫困	内在目标	外在目标	工作意义感
时间贫困	1.000
内在目标	-0.668^a	1.000
外在目标	0.273^a	-0.120	1.000
工作意义感	-0.642^a	0.585^a	-0.188^a	1.000