Can social support enhance sense of coherence and perceived professional benefits among Chinese registered nurses? A mediation model

Factors influencing decent work among psychiatric nurses in China: a cross-sectional study

AIMS

This study aimed to investigate the current status of decent work among psychiatric nurses and analyze its influencing factors.

METHODS

In February 2024, a cross-sectional study was conducted with a cluster sample of 358 nurses from a tertiary Grade A psychiatric hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. Data were collected using a custom-made nurse demographic scale to gather demographic information. The Effort-Reward Imbalance Questionnaire (ERIQ) was used to assess the imbalance between effort and reward through the effort-reward ratio (ERR). The Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS) measured subjective support, objective support, and support utilization. The Decent Work Perception Scale (DWPS) was used to evaluate nurses' perceptions of decent work. T-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation analysis, and multiple linear regression analyses were employed for data analysis.

RESULTS

The study found that the correlation between decent work and social support was positive (r = 0.360, p < 0.001), while it was negative for effort-reward imbalance (r = -0.584, p < 0.001). Factors influencing perceptions of decent work included years of work experience (β = -0.164, p = 0.046 for < 5 years; β = -0.157, p = 0.040 for > 25 years), social support (β = 0.259, p < 0.001), and the effort-reward imbalance (β=-0.458, p < 0.001). These factors collectively explained 40.2% of the variance in perceptions of decent work. Furthermore, social support plays a mediating role between effort-reward imbalance and decent work (β=-0.062, Bootstrap 95% CI: -0.107, -0.023).

CONCLUSION

The findings suggest that years of work experience, social support, and the effort-reward imbalance are factors influencing decent work among psychiatric nurses. By offering career development opportunities, fostering supportive work environments, and ensuring fair compensation, we can empower psychiatric nurses to navigate job challenges effectively and sustain a sense of decency in their work.

The factors of job crafting in emergency nurses: regression models versus qualitative comparative analysis

BACKGROUND

Job crafting is defined as a series of proactive behaviors exhibited by employees in order to balance work resources and needs, which has a significant positive impact on the nurses. It is necessary to find the core factors that influence the job crafting, as emergency nurses deal with the most complex tasks, so as to improve their job satisfaction.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the core factors of job crafting among emergency nurses.

METHODS

A cross-sectional design was used in the study. A total of 255 nurses were recruited from two hospitals in Zhengzhou and Shenzhen, China in December 2021. 255 nurses completed an online questionnaire. Hierarchical regression models and fsQCA models were used to explore the factors influencing job crafting among emergency nurses and helped us to identify core factors.

RESULTS

The hierarchical regression model and the fsQCA model found that the occupational benefit, psychological empowerment, and research experience were the core factors affecting their job crafting. Job involvement was not significant in the regression model, but the QCA model indicated that it needs to be combined with other factors to impact on job crafting. The QCA model uncovered seven key conditional configurations that led to high and low job crafting among emergency nurses, explaining 80.0% of the results for high job crafting and 82.6% of the results for the low job crafting, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study provide valuable insights into the job crafting experienced by emergency nurses. Junior emergency nurses should be granted a high level of psychological empowerment without assigning them overly complex tasks, such as research tasks, as these challenges can stop their job crafting. Intermediate and senior emergency nurses, on the other hand, can be assigned research tasks coupled with high psychological empowerment to enhance their job crafting.

Factors influencing the development of nursing professionalism: a descriptive qualitative study

BACKGROUND

The shortage of nurses threatens the entire healthcare system, and nursing professionalism can improve nurse retention and enhance the quality of care. However, nursing professionalism is dynamic, and the factors influencing its development are not fully understood.

METHODS

A qualitative descriptive study was conducted. Using maximum variation and purposive sampling, 14 southern and northern China participants were recruited. Semi-structured interviews were conducted from May 2022 to August 2023 in face-to-face conversations in offices in the workplace or via voice calls. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed via thematic analysis.

RESULTS

Three main themes emerged: (1) nourishment factors: promoting early sprouting; (2) growth factors: the power of self-activation and overcoming challenges; and (3) rootedness factors: stability and upward momentum. Participants described the early acquisition of nursing professionalism as derived from personality traits, family upbringing, and school professional education, promoting the growth of nursing professionalism through self-activation and overcoming challenges, and maintaining the stable and upward development of nursing professionalism through an upward atmosphere and external motivation.

CONCLUSION

We revealed the dynamic factors that influence the development of nursing professionalism, including "nourishment factors", "growth factors", and "rootedness factors". Our findings provide a foundation for future development of nursing professionalism cultivation strategies. Nursing administrators can guide the development of nurses' professionalism from many angles according to the stage they are in, and the development of professionalism deserves more attention. In the future, we can no longer consider the development of nursing professionalism solely as the responsibility of individual nurses; the power of families, organizations, and society is indispensable to jointly promoting nursing professionalism among nurses.

The impact of job stress on perceived professional benefits among Chinese nurses caring for patients with gynecological cancer: mediating effects of perceived social support and self-efficacy

Introduction

Nurses caring for patients with gynecological cancer experience significant job stress, which adversely impacts their mental health. Previous studies have indicated that perceived professional benefits serves as a protective factor for nurses' mental health, and factors such as job stress, perceived social support and self-efficacy influence their perceived professional benefits. However, the relationships between these factors and the associated mechanisms have remained incompletely understood. This study explored the role of perceived social support and self-efficacy in job stress and perceived professional benefits among nurses caring for patients with gynecological cancer.

Methods

During June and July 2023, an investigation was conducted in Anhui Province. The Nurse Job Stressors Scale, Perceived Social Support Scale, Nurses' Perceived Professional Benefits Questionnaire and General Self-Efficacy Scale were administered to 311 nurses caring for patients with gynecological cancer. A chained-mediated effect model was constructed and validated.

Results

Job stress negatively affected nurses' perceived professional benefits. Perceived social support was a mediator in job stress and nurses' perceived professional benefits, with a mediating effect value of -0.093. Additionally, perceived social support and self-efficacy functioned as sequential mediators in this relationship, with a mediating effect value of -0.032.

Conclusion

This study unveils the influencing mechanisms of job stress on perceived professional benefits of nurses caring for patients with gynecological cancer. It is essential for nursing managers to alleviate nurses' job stress, provide sufficient and effective social support and improve their self-efficacy, ultimately enhancing their perceived professional benefits.

The effect of perceived professional benefits on health professionals' job engagement: the role of psychological availability and future perceived professional benefits

BACKGROUND

Improving the job engagement of health professionals can effectively enhance the quality of their medical services. However, few studies have investigated whether and how perceived professional benefits affect job engagement. Based on resource conservation theory, this study explored the effect of the influence of perceived professional benefits on job engagement, and also examined the mediating role of psychological availability and the moderating role of future perceived professional benefits.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in six tertiary hospitals and seven secondary hospitals in Liu Panshui, a city in western China. A total of 1,406 valid questionnaires were obtained and analysed by using correlation analysis, hierarchical regression analysis, and bootstrap tests.

RESULT

The study found a significant positive association between health professionals' perceived professional benefits and their job engagement. Additionally, psychological availability was found to mediate this relationship. Future perceived professional benefits not only positively moderate this relationship between perceived professional benefits on health professionals' psychological availability but also positively moderate the mediating role of psychological availability between perceived professional benefits and job engagement.

CONCLUSION

Improving health professionals' perceived professional benefits can enhance their job engagement by increasing their psychological availability. However, for health professionals with low future perceived professional benefits, this improvement may disappear. Therefore, it is important to enhance both their current and future perceived professional benefits to improve their job engagement.

The relationship between sense of coherence and emotional intelligence as individual health assets for mental health promotion in students and healthcare professionals: a scoping review

Introduction

Workplace Mental health promotion in healthcare sector, is a global priority due to the stress associated with caregiving environments and the increase of mental health problems among health professionals and students. The role of emotional intelligence (EI) and sense of coherence (SOC) have been identified as critical health protectors. However, the relationship between them as well as the underlying mechanisms of these relationships on health benefits in this population is still unclear.

Aim

To synthetize the existing literature on the relationship between emotional intelligence and sense of coherence, as well as their mutual impact on healthcare workers' and student's well-being.

Method

A scoping review was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. A systematic search was conducted in PsyCINFO, CINHAL, SCOPUS and PUBMED databases, using key-terms such as students, health professionals, emotional intelligence, and sense of coherence.

Results

A total of 11 articles were included, with a range of years from 2014 to 2022. Evidence was found to support the positive relationship between sense of coherence and emotional intelligence. The use of EI as a training pathway to improve SOC and health promoting behaviors is suggested. The benefits of intervening on these factors contribute to improved health professionals' and students' general well-being and motivation for a better performance, either in their studies or clinical work.

Conclusion

The positive relationship between emotional intelligence and a sense of coherence has direct and indirect benefits on students' and healthcare professionals' well-being. Future studies should address longitudinal and experimental analysis to confirm these findings.

Assessing the mediation pathways: How decent work affects turnover intention through job satisfaction and burnout in nursing

AIM

This study aimed to assess the potential mediating roles of nurses' job satisfaction and burnout in the association between decent work and turnover intention.

BACKGROUND

There is a global challenge of nursing shortages in healthcare systems worldwide. Decent work is crucial for safeguarding the rights and professional development outcomes of nurses. However, there is currently limited research on decent work among nurses, and there is a lack of studies exploring the relationships between nurses' decent work, job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intention.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey design was employed with a sample of 460 nurses from three hospitals: The Affiliated Hospital of Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou Third People's Hospital, and Hangzhou Red Cross Hospital. The STROBE checklist was used. Mediation analysis using the PROCESS Macro was used to examine the relationships between decent work, job satisfaction, burnout, and turnover intention.

RESULTS

The results showed that nurses' perception of decent work directly influences their turnover intention. Additionally, these findings strongly support the role of job satisfaction and burnout as mediating factors in the relationship between decent work and turnover intention.

CONCLUSIONS

Decent work reduces nurse burnout and turnover intention of enhancing their job satisfaction.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY

This study's findings have important implications for healthcare organizations and policymakers. Recognizing the pivotal role of decent work in nurses' job satisfaction and well-being can guide the development of strategies to improve working conditions and reduce turnover rates. It is imperative for healthcare institutions to prioritize creating safe, supportive, and equitable work conditions for nurses, as this can contribute to higher job satisfaction and, subsequently, lower turnover rates.

The mediating effect of personality on mental workload and perceived professional benefits of nurses in East China

BACKGROUND

Nursing work is a work with high-stress load, and nurses with different personality may have different subjective feelings about their workload. Therefore, it is particularly necessary to comprehend the perceived professional benefits of nurses engaged in nursing work under high-pressure background, especially during the epidemic period. This study explored the relationship between mental workload, personality, and perceived professional benefits of nurses, and offer advices for the intervention of nurses with different personality to improve their perceived professional benefits.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, we used a cross-sectional study with a convenient sampling. 473 in-service nurses in Class A tertiary hospitals of Zhejiang Province were recruited by using the NASA Mission Load Index scale of nurses, the brief version of China's Big Five Personality Questionnaire, and the Nurses' perceived professional benefits questionnaire from July 2020 to March 2021. Sample size is 54.91%, and the response rate is 100%. Cronbach's alpha method was used to evaluate the reliability of the instruments. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to describe the socio-demographic data of the subject, and scores for research variables. The Mann-Whitney U-test, and Kruskal-Wallis H rank-sum test were used to compare the scores of perceived professional benefits with different demographic characteristics. Correlation analysis results were presented as the Spearman correlation coefficient. The plug-in v2.16.3 provided by SPSS software was used for linear regression analysis, and the deviation-corrected percentile Bootstrap method was used to examine the mediating role of personality (neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness and extroversion).

RESULTS

Age, length of service in nursing, and record of formal schooling can affect nurses' perceived professional benefits. Mental workload, and perceived professional benefits were all above the median value. The mental workload was negatively correlated with perceived professional benefits (r= -0.129, P < 0.01), positively correlated with neuroticism (r = 0.242, P < 0.01), negatively correlated with agreeableness, openness, extroversion (r=-0.229~-0.221, P < 0.01), and negatively correlated with conscientiousness, but the differences were not significant. Nurses' perceived professional benefits were negatively correlated neuroticism (r=-0.109, P < 0.05), but positively associated with conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, and extroversion (r = 0.098 ~ 0.326, P < 0.05). The mental workload can directly affect the perceived professional benefits in the direct effects, and can also affect the it through the mediating effect of agreeableness, extroversion, neuroticism, and openness.

CONCLUSIONS

Age, length of service in nursing, and record of formal schooling could affect nurses' perceived professional benefits, and personality played a partial mediating role in the influence of mental workload on the perceived professional benefits. The results of this study can provide strategies for nurses' human resource management. According to different demographic factors, and personality, various measures should be taken to guide nurses to evaluate the mental workload correctly, reduce their emotional pressure, increase job resources, and improve their perceived professional benefits.

Latent profile analysis of nurses' perceived professional benefits in China: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

To identify profiles of nurses' perceived professional benefits as well as their predictors.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

The study was carried out online in China.

METHODS

From 6 July to 27 July 2022, a total of 1309 registered nurses participated in the survey by convenient sampling. We collected the Nurses' Perceived Professional Benefits Questionnaire and demographic data. Using latent profile analysis (LPA), subgroups of nurses' perceived professional benefits were identified. Moreover, univariate and multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to find the factors that were linked with the profiles.

RESULTS

The survey was validly completed by 1309 nurses, with a 92.9% effective return rate. The findings of the LPA demonstrated three unique profiles: low-perceived professional benefits (11.8%), moderate-perceived professional benefits (57.1%) and high-perceived professional benefits (31.1%). There was a correlation between marital status, the number of night shifts per month and leadership role.

CONCLUSIONS

According to our research, registered nurses have three unique professional benefit profiles. In order to sustain the nursing workforce, despite the fact that nurses get a high level of professional benefits, interventions are necessary to increase nurses' perception of their professional value.

Perceived professional benefits and their associated factors among Chinese registered nurses caring for women diagnosed with gynecological cancer

PROPOSE

Registered nurses (RNs) are considered to be a major source of professional supportive care for women diagnosed with gynecological cancer (GC). This study described the level of perceived professional benefits and explored association between perceived professional benefits, sense of coherence (SOC), and coping strategies in Chinese RNs caring for women diagnosed with GC.

METHOD

A cross-sectional survey was employed to collect data using the Nurses' Perceived Professional Benefits Questionnaire (NPPBQ), Sense of coherence scale (SOC-13), and Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced (Brief COPE). The questionnaires were administered to 250 RNs in China. The correlations between NPPBQ, SOC-13, and Brief COPE were evaluated with Pearson's correlation coefficient. Multiple regression analysis was performed to assess the relative contribution of each possible factor in explaining variance in the increased NPPBQ.

RESULTS

The total score for the NPPBQ was 142.4 (range 33.0-165.0). SOC, dysfunctional coping strategies, and problem-focused coping strategies were recognized as predictors of RNs' perceived professional benefit, while, emotion-focused coping strategies were not significantly associated with RNs' perceived professional benefits.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that RNs who have high levels of SOC, dysfunctional coping strategies, and problem-focused coping strategies tend to experience more perceived professional benefit. These findings propose new perspectives for nursing managers to promote RNs' perceived professional benefit by helping RNs to find meaningfulness when caring for women diagnosed with GC, increasing RNs' communication skills to improve their relationship with patients, and training RNs to use coping strategies effectively.

Sense of coherence mediates perceived social support and depressive and anxiety symptoms in cervical cancer patients: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Depression and anxiety symptoms are two common psychological disturbances in cervical cancer patients. We tested whether sense of coherence (SOC) mediates the association of perceived social support (PSS) with depression and anxiety symptoms among cervical cancer patients in China.

METHODS

We conducted a survey involving 294 cervical cancer patients aged ≥ 18 years from July to December 2020 at three hospitals in Liaoning Province, China; 269 patients completed the survey. We included a demographic questionnaire, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Antonovsky's Sense of Coherence Scale, the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, and the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) in this study. We used hierarchical regression analysis to examine the relationship among PSS, SOC, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. We used asymptotic and resampling strategies to explore the mediating effect of SOC.

RESULTS

PSS was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (r = - 0.439, P < 0.01) and anxiety symptoms (r = - 0.325, P < 0.01). SOC was negatively related to depressive symptoms (r = - 0.627, P < 0.01) and anxiety symptoms (r = - 0.411, P < 0.01). SOC partially mediated the association between PSS and depressive symptoms (a*b = - 0.23, BCa95% CI: [- 0.31, - 0.14]) and anxiety symptoms (a*b = - 0.15, BCa95% CI: [- 0.23, - 0.08]). The proportions of the mediating effect accounting for SOC were 49.78% and 41.73% for depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The study showed that SOC could mediate the association between PSS and symptoms of depression and anxiety. This suggests that SOC might serve as a potential target for intervention in symptoms of depression and anxiety that accompany cervical cancer.

Nurses' sense of organizational support, Self-esteem and perceived professional benefits: A mediating model

AIM

To explore the mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between perceived organizational support and professional benefits among Registered Nurses in China.

DESIGN

This was an online, cross-sectional study involving 1850 nurses from six hospitals in China.

METHODS

Data were collected using a 4-part questionnaire including a sociodemographic questionnaire, perceived organizational support scale, self-esteem scale and brief nurses' perceived professional benefits questionnaire from September to November 2021. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to explore the associations among them.

RESULTS

Perceived organizational support was positively correlated with self-esteem and perceived professional benefits among nurses, whereas self-esteem positively predicted nurses' perceived professional benefits . Self-esteem partially mediated the relationship between the two variables. The ratio of the mediating effect to the total effect was 16.7%.

Influence of Emotional Skills on Attitudes towards Communication: Nursing Students vs. Nurses

Communication in nursing is essential to the quality of care and patients' satisfaction, and personal variables such as empathy and emotional intelligence (EI) can improve it; however, no studies have to date analyzed these competencies and their relations among nursing students compared with nurses. The aims of this study are, therefore, to analyze the differences between nursing students and nurses in the means for empathy, EI and attitudes towards communication in order to assess the impact of empathy and EI on nurses' and nursing students' attitudes towards communication, and their influence on the behavioral dimension of attitude. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed on a convenience sample of 961 nursing students and 460 nurses from the Valencian Community, Spain. T-test and hierarchical regression models (HRM) were used. The data was collected in the selected universities in the 2018/2019 academic year. The results showed high levels in all the variables analyzed (i.e., empathy, EI, and attitudes towards communication) in both samples. The HRM results suggested that empathy was a better predictor than EI of the attitudes towards patient communication among both the nursing students and nurses. In the behavioral dimension of the attitude, the cognitive and affective dimensions had greater weight than the emotional component (i.e., empathy and EI). Developing empathy and the cognitive dimension of the attitude in nursing students and nurses could, therefore, help improve EI and attitudes towards communication. These findings are important for developing intervention programs adjusted to real needs.

Mediating effect of resilience between social support and compassion fatigue among intern nursing and midwifery students during COVID-19: a cross-sectional study

AIMS

To examine the mediating effect of resilience between social support and compassion fatigue among intern nursing and midwifery students during COVID-19.

BACKGROUND

Compassion fatigue has become exceedingly common among intern nursing and midwifery students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social support and resilience can help intern nursing and midwifery students control their negative emotions, reduce compassion fatigue, and increase their well-being. However, the mediating effect of resilience between social support and compassion fatigue remains unclear.

DESIGN

A multicentre cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

A total of 307 intern nursing and midwifery students were recruited from November 2020 to February 2021 in tertiary grade A hospitals in China. Structural equation modelling was applied to analyse the mediating effects of resilience between social support and compassion fatigue. The Social Support Rating Scale, the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Chinese version of the Compassion Fatigue Short Scale were used to collect data. The hypothetical path model was tested by using IBM SPSS version 26.0 and AMOS version 26.0 software.

RESULTS

Intern nursing and midwifery students had moderate compassion fatigue. Social support positively affected resilience (β = 0.514, p < 0.01). Social support negatively affected compassion fatigue (β = - 0.310, p < 0.01), while resilience negatively affected compassion fatigue (β = - 0.283, p < 0.01). Resilience played a mediating role between social support and compassion fatigue.

CONCLUSION

Social support can directly affect the compassion fatigue of intern nursing and midwifery students during COVID-19 and indirectly through resilience. Stronger resilience can reduce compassion fatigue. Accordingly, resilience-based interventions should be developed to reduce compassion fatigue.

The mediating role of resilience between perceived social support and sense of security in medical staff following the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Background

The COVID-19 pandemic not only posed a serious threat to public life and health but also had a serious impact on people's mental health, especially that of medical staff. Perceived social support is an important factor in one's sense of security.

Objective

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, the goal is to explore the potential mediating role of resilience in the relationship between perceived social support and the sense of security of Chinese medical personnel.

Methods

The multi-stage proportionally stratified convenience sampling method was adopted to select 4,076 medical professionals from 29 hospitals in Guangdong Province between September 2020 and October 2020. The Sense of Security Scale for Medical Staff, the Chinese version of the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Perceived Social Support Scale were employed in this study. For statistical analysis and structural equation modeling (SEM), the SPSS 23.0 and Amos 24.0 software packages were used. Regression analysis was used to select the control variables to be included in the SEM. SEM analysis was conducted to verify the mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between perceived social support and a sense of security.

Results

Pearson's correlation analysis showed that perceived social support and resilience were positively associated with a sense of security (correlation coefficients range from 0.350 to 0.607, P < 0.01), and perceived social support (correlation coefficients range from 0.398 to 0.589, P < 0.01) was positively associated with resilience. Structural equation modeling revealed that resilience played a partial mediating role in the association between perceived social support and a sense of security (60.3% of the effect of perceived social support on security was direct, and 39.7% of the effect was mediated by resilience).

Conclusions

Hospital managers should make efforts to develop resilience. Interventions based on resilience should be developed to enhance the perception of social support and strengthen one's sense of security.

The relationship between work practice environment and work engagement among nurses: The multiple mediation of basic psychological needs and organizational commitment a cross-sectional survey

Background

Previous researchers have demonstrated that the work practice environment influences nurses' engagement; however, few studies have explored the mechanisms that explain the links between them.

Objectives

To examine whether basic psychological needs and organizational commitment mediate the relationship between the work practice environment and work engagement.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a sample of 893 nurses from 14 cities in Sichuan Province of China between November 2021 and December 2021. Data were collected online using the Chinese version of the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index, Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale, Organizational Commitment Scale, and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale. The Pearson correlation analysis and multiple mediation model were used to analyze the data.

Results

The Pearson correlation analysis showed that work practice environment, basic psychological needs, and organizational commitment were positively associated with work engagement. The positive relationship between work practice environment and work engagement was mediated by basic psychological needs and organizational commitment [B = 0.505, SE = 0.032, 95% CI (0.442, 0.566)].

Conclusions

The study substantially contributes to the existing knowledge by revealing the mechanisms of fostering work engagement among nurses and explaining why the work practice environment influences work engagement.

Occupational benefit perception of acute and critical care nurses: A qualitative meta-synthesis

Background

With the development of society, nurses have an increasingly more important role in the medical team. At the same time, due to various reasons, the number of active nurses is continuously decreasing, and the shortage of nursing personnel is becoming ever more serious. The COVID-19 pandemic made these clinical problems more serious. As the department with the greatest work pressure and the most intense pace, acute and critical care nurses are already facing serious problems related to job burnout and dismission. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, these problems should be solved urgently. Furthermore, with the rise of positive psychology, many scholars are turning their research direction to the positive professional experience of nurses so as to get inspiration to encourage nurses to face work with an optimistic attitude and guide nursing managers to better retain nursing talents.

Objective

The purpose of this paper is to summarize and evaluate the positive emotional experience and professional benefit of acute and critical care specialist nurses in the process of work. So as to better interpret their occupational benefit perception and guide nursing managers in adopting positive measures and promoting the development of high-quality nursing.

Methods

Cinahl plus, Embase, Medline and other twelve databases were searched for relevant literature. Meta-aggregation was used to synthesize the findings of the included studies.

Results

From a total of 12 articles included in this study, 55 main results were presented, 8 new categories were integrated, and three themes were formed: professional identity, social support, and personal growth. The professional identity included: being proud of professional ability and increasing professional value; social support included: friends and family support, organizational, environmental support, peer support, and support of patients and their families; personal growth included realizing self-worth and promoting self-development.

Conclusion

Hospital managers should pay attention to the positive emotional experience of nurses in work and based on this, provide practical and beneficial protection for nurses from the aspects of salary, learning opportunities, working environment, social support and internal personality, stimulate work enthusiasm, guide nurses to correctly face negative emotions and occupational pressure, and improve the sense of professional benefit.

Perceived professional benefits and associated factors among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

AIMS

To examine the perceived professional benefits (PPB) and associated factors among nurses during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in China.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Using the snowball sampling method, 492 nurses (478 females, 14 males) were recruited. Data were collected using an online survey, including participants' socio-demographic and working characteristics, psychological distress related to the COVID-19 pandemic, dealing with professional frustration, professional self-reflection and PPB from 1-30 April 2020.

RESULTS

Nurses experienced high levels of PPB. In linear regression analysis, self-perceived concerns about COVID-19, emotional shock caused by it, risk perception towards their occupations, dealing with professional frustration and professional self-reflection were positively associated with PPB among nurses. These factors explained 84% variance in PPB.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlighted that although the nurses experienced psychological distress, they gained high PPB during the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, to facilitate nurses' efforts to achieve professional growth, more educational resources and opportunities for engaging in reflective practices could be provided.

Association between spiritual care competency and perceived professional benefit among nurses: A cross-sectional study

AIMS

This study aimed to investigate the status quo of nurses' spiritual care competency and their relationship with perceived professional benefit.

BACKGROUND

Spiritual care has always been considered a vitally important part of holistic nursing. Understanding the spiritual care competency of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic can help nursing managers understand the weak links in spiritual care practice and improve the quality of nursing service. As a positive emotional experience and cognitive evaluation of the profession, perceived professional benefit can serve to adjust work pressure, relieve job burnout, and promote an individual's overall growth. However, the relationship between perceived professional benefit among nurses and spiritual care competency remains unclear.

METHODS

A total of 372 nurses were recruited from 15 separate Chinese hospitals. An online questionnaire was used to assess nurses' sociodemographic, spiritual care competency, and perceived professional benefit. Statistical analyses were performed using Pearson's correlation analysis, t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple stepwise linear regression analysis.

RESULTS

The total mean score of spiritual care competency (99.43 ± 21.10) among nurses was found to be moderate. Nurses' spiritual care competency was positively correlated with perceived professional benefit (P < .01). The multiple stepwise linear regression model (n = 372) had an explained variance (R² = 0.218) and showed that perceived professional benefit and the manner of receiving spiritual training were the main influencing factors of nurses' spiritual care competency (P < .001).

CONCLUSION

The study findings indicated that nurses need to improve their spiritual care competency by improving their perceived professional benefit.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING MANAGERS

Our study evaluated the spiritual care competency of nurses and explored the correlation between perceived professional benefit and spiritual care competency among nurses. The results of this study can help nursing managers to carry out relevant interventions, thus improving nurses' spiritual care competency and optimizing the quality of nursing.

Mediating Role of Psychological Capital in the Relationship Between Social Support and Self-Neglect Among Chinese Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Objectives

Self-neglect in older adults has become an important public health issue and is associated with negative health outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality. Social support has been recognized as a prominent predictor of self-neglect, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. This study aims to investigate and illustrate the associations among social support, psychological capital, and self-neglect.

Methods

This study used a cross-sectional convenience sampling design. A total of 511 older adults were recruited in Chinese communities. Spearman’s correlation coefficient and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were performed to assess the influencing factors of self-neglect. A structural equation model was applied to test the hypothesized mediation model.

Results

Social support and psychological capital were found to be negatively related to self-neglect. Social support and psychological capital explained 5.1 and 11.9% of the incremental variances of older adults’ self-neglect, respectively. Psychological capital acts as a mediator between social support and self-neglect.

Conclusion

Self-neglect among older adults is a rising problem in China. Social support and higher psychological capital could decrease the risk of self-neglect in older adults. It is crucial to improve social networks and facilitate psychological interventions to reduce such self-neglect.

Relationship between emotional intelligence and job well-being in Chinese clinical nurses: multiple mediating effects of empathy and communication satisfaction

BACKGROUND

Nursing work is associated with great pressure, and nurses are often overwhelmed. Therefore, correct emotional regulation is essential to improve nurses' job well-being and promote better engagement in nursing work. The purpose of this study was to establish a structural model to estimate the impact of Chinese clinical nurses' emotional intelligence on job well-being, using multiple intermediaries to explain the internal mechanisms underlying the relationship.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study of 1475 registered nurses from a Chinese hospital who provided responses to emotional intelligence, empathy, communication satisfaction, and job well-being scales. Path analysis using a multiple mediation model was performed using AMOS 23.0.

RESULTS

Among all clinical nurses who participated in the survey, 1475 (98.33 %) completed the questionnaire. The nurses' job well-being score was 83.61 ± 12.63. There was a significant positive correlation between job well-being and communication satisfaction, emotional intelligence, and empathy ability (r = 0.346-0.570, P < 0.001). Empathy and communication satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and job well-being, with effect sizes of 0.047 and 0.227, respectively. The chain mediating effect of empathy and communication satisfaction had a value of 0.045.

CONCLUSIONS

It is recommended that hospital managers take actions to improve nurses' emotional intelligence level, and conduct professional psychological training to improve nurses' empathy and communication satisfaction, and ultimately improve their job well-being.

Relationship between emotional intelligence and job well-being in Chinese Registered Nurses: Mediating effect of communication satisfaction

AIM

To explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and job well-being among Chinese Registered Nurses, and the mediating role of communication satisfaction in the relationship.

DESIGN

A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed.

METHODS

Random sampling was adopted. The study was conducted from September to December 2019, and 1,475 Registered Nurses from a Chinese hospital provided responses to Wong and Law's emotional intelligence scale, communication satisfaction scale, job well-being scale and general information questionnaire. SPSS25.0 software was used to calculate means, standard deviations and correlations, and AMOS 21.0 software was used to establish the structural equation model.

RESULTS

The emotional intelligence, communication satisfaction and job well-being of Registered Nurses in China were related to positional rank, work department, monthly income, years of service, night shift work distribution and intensity of work. There were positive correlations among emotional intelligence, communication satisfaction and job well-being. Communication satisfaction partly mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and job well-being. Improving the level of emotional intelligence and communication satisfaction should be an important strategy to improve nurses' job well-being. Therefore, nursing managers could carry out targeted training on emotional intelligence management and communication between nurses and patients and pay attention to the spiritual needs of nurses and provide psychological guidance on a regular basis.

Factors associated with nurses' willingness to participate in care of patients with COVID-19: A survey in China

Aim

The research aims to assess nurses’ willingness to participate in care of patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in China and to identify its associated factors.

Background

Along with the increasing number of infections, the world has paid widespread attention to COVID‐19.

Methods

This cross‐sectional study used a convenience sampling method that included a demographics questionnaire and the Nurses' Perceived Professional Benefits Questionnaire. The survey was distributed to 1,787 nurses from 36 hospitals in China.

Results

In total, 1,176 questionnaires were usable for this research. 92.79% of nurses were willing to participate in care of patients with COVID‐19. Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses were less willing to participate, while surgical nurses were more willing to participate. In addition, nurses with high positive professional perception scores were more willing to participate than those with low scores.

Conclusion

The vast majority of nurses were willing to participate in care of patients with COVID‐19 in China. Surgical nurses and nurses with positive professional perceptions are more likely to be willing to participate in treatment.

Implications for nursing management

To increase nurses’ willingness to participate in care of patients with COVID‐19, improving the sense of perceived professional benefits, offering salary and offering paid sick leave for nursing staff are effective ways. In addition, raising the awareness of infectious diseases and increased pre‐disaster training during infectious diseases is critical.