Title : Shaping nursing careers: The case for macro-level job crafting
Abstract:
In many industries, job crafting—reshaping tasks, relationships, and perceptions to better align with one’s strengths and values—is recognized as a powerful way to boost engagement and well-being. The concept was first introduced by organizational psychologists Amy Wrzesniewski and Jane E. Dutton in 2001 in the Academy of Management Review, and has since become a widely used framework for understanding how individuals proactively shape their work to increase meaning and satisfaction. Research across sectors shows that employees who engage in job crafting report higher job satisfaction, resilience, and performance. In 2023, this concept was put to the test in the nursing world. A BMC Nursing study found that nurses who engaged in task crafting experienced measurable gains in psychological well-being (effect = 0.15), and those who practiced relational crafting saw higher social well-being (effect = 0.22), both driven by increased work engagement (BMC Nursing). The evidence was clear: when nurses can shape aspects of their work, they thrive. However, in clinical settings, job crafting isn’t just difficult it’s nearly impossible within the constraints of the role. Bedside nursing operates within rigid protocols, tightly defined scopes of practice, and facility-specific routines. Decision-making influence is low—only 14% of over 1,800 U.S. nurses surveyed in the Journal of Nursing Management reported having high control over their schedules, and fewer than 1 in 5 felt they had significant influence over workplace decisions (Journal of Nursing Management). This lack of autonomy is consistently linked to burnout and disengagement. One of the few ways nurses can reclaim this lost autonomy is by changing the context in which they work through travel nursing. While travel nurses still adhere to each facility’s policies and standards, they control the context in which they work what can be called macro-level job crafting. This control comes from:
- Assignment Choice – Selecting contracts in specialties, locations, and settings that match professional goals or personal needs.
- Testing Environments – Trying different facility sizes, patient populations, and care models to find the right fit.
- Shaping Career Trajectory – Using short-term contracts to gain targeted experience, pivot specialties, or build competitive skills.
The benefits extend beyond variety. A 2024 BMC Nursing study of 714 nurses found that job crafting buffered the effects of both positive and negative career shocks on occupational well-being, and autonomy support from supervisors amplified these positive outcomes (BMC Nursing). Travel nursing inherently offers more autonomy at the career level, giving clinicians the ability to steer their paths with intentionality.
The trade-off is that travel nursing offers episodic control rather than daily flexibility—you can choose where you go next, but you still work within each hospital’s strict structure. This presentation will explore:
- Job crafting origins and present evidence of its measurable benefits in nursing practice.
- Why staff nursing roles make job crafting challenging and how travel nursing enables macro-level job crafting despite rigid bedside parameters.
- Real-world examples of nurses using assignment choice to re-energize or redirect their careers.
In an industry where burnout rates among nurses remain above 30% and retention is a persistent challenge, understanding how to “craft” a nursing career—even within systemic constraints—is critical. Travel nursing isn’t a cure-all, but it offers one of the few structural levers nurses can pull to actively shape their professional path.
- Significant improvements in overall outcomes for units and facilities that leverage the strategic benefits of job crafting at the macro level.
