Subtypes of overtime work and nurses’ fatigue, mental status, and work engagement: A latent class analysis of Japanese hospital nurses

Aims: To clarify the subgroups of overtime work motivations and to determine how fatigue, mental status, and work engagement differ among the subgroups. Design: Cross-sectional. Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to 1,075 full-time nurses working in four hospitals in Japan from October 2015 - February 2016. Nurses were categorized into subgroups of overtime work motivation by latent class analysis. An analysis of covariance was conducted to examine how fatigue, mental status, and work engagement differ among subgroups. Results/Findings: We identified five types of overtime workers differing greatly in fatigue, mental status, and work engagement. Conclusions: Even when nurses worked approximately the same work hours, the difference in motivation corresponded to different degrees of fatigue, mental status, and work engagement. When introducing policies to reduce overtime work, managers should consider the different groups of overtime workers, as effective measures may differ.