Professional identity, job satisfaction, and intention to stay among clinical nurses during the prolonged COVID‐19 pandemic: A mediation analysis

Abstract

Aim This study aims to examine the relationship between professional identity and job satisfaction and their impact on intention to stay among clinical nurses in China during the prolonged COVID‐19 pandemic. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was conducted from April 30 to May 25, 2021, in China. Data were collected using professional identity, job satisfaction, and intention to stay questionnaires from 1425 clinical nurses. A single mediation analysis was utilized to test the interrelationship among the variables, and the STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist as a reporting guide. Results Nurses indicated a medium level of professional identity, job satisfaction, and intention to stay, with mean scores of 3.85, 3.25, and 3.47, respectively. The professional identity displayed positive indirect effect on nurses' intention to stay through job satisfaction (indirect effect = 0.498, 95% CI [0.439, 0.558]). Conclusion Cultivating professional identity among nurses can increase their job satisfaction and ultimately enhance the intention to stay in the nursing profession. However, this study also suggests paying more attention to job satisfaction to keep nursing retention. These may be helpful to retain the nursing workforce.

The role of professional identity and job satisfaction in paediatric nurses' intention to remain employed amidst the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…The predominant cause was determined to be the convictions held by healthcare professionals regarding their obligation to assist individuals requiring medical attention (Li et al, 2022). The findings contradicted with previous study of Hanum et al (2022) delineate that nurses in China had a medium level of professional identity during the coronavirus pandemic. Furthermore, the study of Zhang, Feng, et al (2021) and Zhang, Zuo, et al (2021) indicated nurses working in emergency and intensive care units exhibited a moderate degree of professional identity.…”

“…Nurses were driven by a sense of duty and responsibility to provide care and support to patients, even in the face of unprecedented challenges (Slettmyr et al, 2022). Similarly, Hanum et al (2022) indicated in their study that nurses in China had a moderate level of intention to stay during the coronavirus pandemic. Also, Moosa et al (2016) found that the majority of nurses employed in a tertiary hospital in Maldives had reported moderate intent to stay.…”

“…The construct of professional identity is comprised of an individual's values, beliefs, and attitudes that influence their professional persona (Dong et al, 2023). The established literature has demonstrated a positive relationship between a strong professional identity and high job satisfaction, improved professional competence, and heightened dedication to remaining in the nursing profession (Hanum et al, 2022; Mohtashami et al, 2015; Zhang, Feng, et al, 2021). Nurses possessing a robust professional identity are inclined to effectively manage difficult circumstances and sustain their dedication towards their vocation amidst the COVID‐19 outbreak (Chen et al, 2023; Dong et al, 2023).…”

The influence of job burnout on quiet quitting among nurses: the mediating effect of job satisfaction

“…In particular, job satisfaction partially mediated the positive association between nurses' grit and job performance [26]. Moreover, satisfaction mediated the association of professional identity and nurses' intention to stay [25]. Hu et al revealed that the indirect effect of satisfaction was signi cant in that nurses' career identity in uenced turnover intention [23].…”

“…Moreover, it is well known that job burnout has a negative association with job satisfaction [20][21][22]. Several studies including nurses con rm the mediating role of job satisfaction between work-related variables, such as career identity, turnover intention, workload, quality of care, job performance, and professional identity [23][24][25][26][27]. Since the mediating role of nurses' job satisfaction in the relationship between job burnout and quiet quitting is unknown, we hypothesized the following: Hypothesis 2 Nurses' job satisfaction would mediate the relationship between job burnout and their quiet quitting.…”