Mediating role of career self-efficacy between clinical learning environment and professional identity in nursing students

Aims To explore whether the clinical learning environment (CLE) has an indirect effect on professional identity through the mediation of career self-efficacy (CSE) in nursing students. Background The shortage of nurses has become a universal problem worldwide. Improving nurses' professional identity is considered an effective way to reduce the turnover rate of nurses. However, little is known about the relationship between the CLE, CSE and professional identity. Design An observational, questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study. Methods A web-based survey was completed by 212 undergraduate nursing students from June to August 2018. Measures included Chinese translations of the CLE, the Career Self-Efficacy Scale, and the Professional Identity Scale. Results Both the CLE (r = 0.552, p < 0.01) and CSE (r = 0.868, p < 0.01) correlated positively with professional identity. The indirect effect of the CLE on professional identity through CSE was positive (beta = 0.342, p < 0.05) and the effect was 77.2%. Conclusions A better CLE and higher scores in CSE were associated with professional identity in nursing students, and a better CLE had an indirect effect on the professional identity of students through CSE.