Abstract
Aim
To collect relevant data through a cross-sectional survey study and analyze the mediating effect of professional identity in the relationship between emotional intelligence and work readiness.
Background
Poor work readiness makes new nursing grads leave the profession. Emotional intelligence and professional identity impact it, so it’s important to clarify the relationship between them to enhance the work readiness of nursing students.
Methods
Cluster sampling was performed on newly graduated nursing students from Chongqing, China. Data were collected using the Emotional Intelligence Scale, Nurses’ Work Readiness Scale, and Nurses’ Professional Identity Scale. The SAS software (version 9.4) was used for data processing and analysis. Independent sample t-tests and one-way ANOVA were performed to determine influencing factors. Amos (version 29.0) was used to model mediation effects. The maximum likelihood estimation method was used to estimate the model parameters, with adjustments made based on the correction index.
Results
In total, 453 valid questionnaires were obtained. The total scores for professional identity, emotional intelligence, and work readiness of the participants were 66.79 ± 11.35, 90.09 ± 14.09, and 271.10 ± 44.26, respectively. professional identity correlated with the other two, mediating their relation, accounting for 69.99% of total effects.
Conclusions
Professional identity is an important mediator between emotional intelligence and work readiness. School teachers and healthcare professionals should prioritize developing nursing students’ emotional intelligence and professional identity during education. Enhancing professional identity, fostering a sense of professional honor, and improving work readiness can reduce turnover rates and stabilize the nursing workforce.
Implications for Nursing and/or Health Policy:
Both professional identity and emotional intelligence are positively correlated with work readiness, which deserve more attention. Nursing educators and mangers should cultivate professional identity early.
Keywords: Newly Graduated Nursing Students, Professional Identity, Job Readiness, Emotional Intelligence, Nursing Education
1. Background
With evolving nursing concepts and service models for disease treatment, the role of nurses in patient health management has become increasingly prominent. The Chinese government has issued the China Nursing Career Development Plan (2021-2025), emphasizing improvements in mobilizing the nursing workforce and increasing the number of nurses(NHSC, 2022). However, recent statistics reveal that while China has 5.637 million registered nurses, the nurse-to-population ratio is only four per 1,000 people, below the World Health Organization’s minimum standard and significantly lower than ratios in developed countries (WHO,2023; Chen et al.,2024). Newly graduated nursing students, defined as nurses who have recently graduated from school and are entering clinical practice, represent a vital component of the future nursing workforce (Zhu et al.,2023). Numerous studies (See et al.,2023; Kaldal et al.,2023; Alharbi et al.,2023; Hu et al.,2023) indicate that due to the high risk, intensity, and standards of clinical nursing work, newly graduated nursing students face a series of adaptive challenges from school campuses to clinics, leading to work frustration and a high turnover rate, with approximately 75% of new nurses expressing a strong desire to leave within their first year of employment, and 30–60% resigning during this period. Therefore, facilitating a smoother transition for new graduates in the early stages of their career development is necessary to improve clinical care quality and stabilize the nursing workforce.
Work readiness measures an individual’s degree of readiness in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes before entering the workplace. Among newly graduated nursing students, work readiness is positively correlated with job satisfaction and work engagement, serving as the basis for a good transition from student to professional nurses (Walker et al.,2013). However, evidence suggests that nursing students often lack adequate preparation for clinical decision-making, communication, coordination, and emergency handling (Ogawa et al.,2024; Novalia et al.,2021; Najafi et al., 2023; Horii et al.,2021). According to one study, only 10% of hospital administrators in China consider newly graduated nursing students work-ready, while 63% of clinical tutors believe they require additional support (He et al., 2021). In-depth understanding of factors influencing work readiness could guide nursing schools in enhancing clinical orientation and optimizing training programs. Emotional intelligence is the ability to recognize, understand, express, and manage one’s own and others’ emotions (Torre et al.,2023). It significantly impacts newly graduated nurses’ ability to handle work stress, build nurse-patient relationships, and foster teamwork. Emotional intelligence is positively correlated with nurses’ clinical communication skills, job satisfaction, professional commitment, and patient satisfaction. It is an important skill for managing conflict, stress, negative events, and workplace violence (Giménez-Espert et al., 2018). However, a study by Zhang et al. involving multiple provinces and cities in China found that only 15% of clinical nurses exhibited high emotional intelligence (Zhang et al.,2024; Zhang et al.,2024). Similarly, research by Deng Huaxia et al. revealed that nurses with ≤ 5 years of experience often have emotional intelligence that needs further improvement (Deng et al.,2024). Professional identity reflects an individual’s recognition and positive evaluation of their status and responsibilities (Li et al.,2024). Its formation is influenced by positive evaluation of society, personal interest, ambition, and material rewards. Well-formed professional identity is both an intrinsic motivating factor for personal development and the key to overcoming professional externalities and unifying personal and professional values. Surveys (Li et al.,2018; Chen et al.,2022; Zhang et al.,2017) indicate that 74.4% of nurses with ≤ 1 year of experience express a willingness to leave their job in the first year, with low professional identity being a key factor in their decision. Strengthening professional identity is therefore an urgent problem in nursing education and management.
The analysis above highlights an intrinsic causal link between work readiness, emotional intelligence, and professional identity, all of which significantly impact career stability among newly graduated nurses. While good work readiness is necessary for a smooth career start, emotional intelligence and professional identity also play critical roles. Understanding the interplay and contribution of these factors can inform strategies to enhance nursing education and workforce management, ultimately improving job retention among new graduates. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is limited research on how emotional intelligence and professional identity affect work readiness. Therefore, this study analyzed the relationship between work readiness, emotional intelligence, and professional identity and used mediation analysis to identify the key factors and their relative contributions.
2. Methods
2.1. Research design
This study employed a cross-sectional design.
2.2. Participants
The participants were newly graduated nursing students in Chongqing, China. The sample size was estimated using Kendall’s sample size estimation method (Fang,2007), which recommends 5–10 times the number of questionnaire items, with a 20% allowance for attrition. With 70 questionnaire items, the sample size was calculated as: number of questionnaire items (70) × (5–10) × (1 + 20%) = 420–840. The inclusion criteria were as follows: (a) Completion of all required nursing courses; (b) newly graduated nursing students; (c) normal cognitive and comprehension abilities; and (d) informed consent to participate.
2.3. Questionnaire
The general information questionnaire collected data on age, gender, education background, place of residence, voluntary selection of the nursing major, and confidence in nursing work.
Emotional Intelligence Scale: Developed by Wong et al. and translated into Chinese by Wang (Wang, 2010). It measures four dimensions: emotional self-assessment (four items), others’ emotional assessment (four items), emotional application (four items), and emotional control (four items). The scale was scored on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree), with higher scores indicating higher emotional intelligence.
Professional Identity Scale: Compiled by Liu et al. (Liu et al., 2011), it includes five dimensions: professional self-concept (six items), benefits of staying and risks of leaving the job (four items), social comparison and self-reflection (two items), autonomy of career choice (two items), and social persuasion (three items, including one reverse-scored item). The scale is scored on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (very inconsistent) to 5 (very consistent), with higher scores indicating stronger professional identity.
Work Readiness Scale: Compiled by Walker and translated into Chinese by Li Jiaying et al. (Li et al.,2020). It includes five dimensions: job competitiveness (eight items), social skills (nine items), career development (nine items), organizational acumen (seven items), and personal work characteristics (four items). The scale is scored on a 10-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (completely disagree) to 10 (completely agree), with items 34–37 being reverse-scored. Higher scores indicated better work readiness.
2.4. Data collection
The questionnaire was electronically generated via Wenjuanxin(www.wjx.cn) in November 2023. A staff member who managed new graduate nursing students in the researched schools was contacted to explain the purpose of the study, obtain their consent, and send the link to the electronic questionnaire via WeChat or QQ to be completed by new graduate nursing students who met the inclusion criteria.
2.5. Bias control
To minimize bias, the questionnaire contained standardized instructions explaining the purpose and content of the study and was anonymous. Participants could only submit the form after answering all questions, and duplicate submissions from the same IP were not considered. Data with filling time < 400s, contradictory answers, or uniform answers were excluded following manual review by two researchers.
2.6. Data analysis
The SAS software (version 9.4) was used for data sorting and analysis. Normally distributed quantitative data were described using mean ± standard deviation, with group comparisons analyzed via independent sample t-tests and variance analysis. Pairwise comparisons were performed using the SNK-q test. Categorical data were described as case number and rate. Pearson’s correlation analysis was performed to analyze the correlations between the scales. Variables with a single factor (P < 0.05) were included in the multivariate linear regression model, screened using a stepwise method (inclusion criteria: P < 0.05, exclusion criteria: P ≥ 0.05). The mediation effect model was established using AMOS (version 29.0); the model parameters were estimated using the maximum likelihood estimation method. The model was adjusted based on the correction index. The 95% confidence interval for effects was calculated by repeated sampling 5000 times. A bilateral P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant.
3. Results
Four hundred ninety-six newly graduated nursing students completed a questionnaire. After excluding 10 questionnaires with answer times < 400s, 14 with identical answers for all entries, and 12 with logically contradictory options, 453 valid questionnaires were obtained, resulting in a valid recovery rate of 91.33%. Table 2 shows the general characteristics of the participants. The professional identity, emotional intelligence, and work readiness scores of the newly graduated nursing students were 66.79 ± 11.35, 90.09 ± 14.09 and 271.10 ± 44.26 points, respectively (Table 1).
Table 2.
Correlation analysis of work readiness, professional identity, and emotional intelligence of new graduate nursing students
| Scale | Work readiness | Professional identity | Emotional intelligence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work readiness | 1 | - | - |
| Professional identity | 0.680a | 1 | - |
| Emotional intelligence | 0.696a | 0.733a | 1 |
Note:
P < 0.001
Table 1.
Scores of work readiness, professional identity, and emotional intelligence of newly graduated nursing students
| Scale | Score | Score of item | Cronbach’s coefficient |
|---|---|---|---|
| work readiness | |||
| job competitiveness(w1) | 54.84 ± 11.68 | 6.85 ± 1.46 | 0.944 |
| social skills(w2) | 63.77 ± 13.88 | 7.09 ± 1.54 | 0.944 |
| career development(w3) | 69.76 ± 12.9 | 7.75 ± 1.43 | 0.933 |
| organizational acumen(w4) | 60 ± 9.41 | 8.57 ± 1.34 | 0.947 |
| personal work characteristics(w5) | 22.74 ± 7.79 | 5.68 ± 1.95 | 0.849 |
| Total | 271.1 ± 44.26 | 7.33 ± 1.20 | 0.818 |
| professional identity | |||
| professional self-concept(p1) | 23.41 ± 4.84 | 3.9 ± 0.81 | 0.933 |
| benefits of staying on the job and risks of leaving the job(p2) | 14.96 ± 3.27 | 3.74 ± 0.82 | 0.855 |
| social comparison and self-reflection(p3) | 12.32 ± 1.94 | 4.11 ± 0.65 | 0.693 |
| autonomy of career choice(p4) | 7.69 ± 1.58 | 3.84 ± 0.79 | 0.188 |
| social persuasion(p5) | 8.42 ± 1.62 | 4.21 ± 0.81 | 0.890 |
| Total | 66.79 ± 11.35 | 3.93 ± 0.67 | 0.874 |
| emotional intelligence | |||
| self-emotional assessment(e1) | 22.68 ± 3.79 | 5.67 ± 0.95 | 0.890 |
| other people’s emotional assessment(e2) | 22.63 ± 3.59 | 5.66 ± 0.9 | 0.876 |
| emotional application (e3) | 22.31 ± 3.74 | 5.58 ± 0.94 | 0.840 |
| emotional control (e4) | 22.48 ± 3.88 | 5.62 ± 0.97 | 0.881 |
| Total | 90.09 ± 14.09 | 5.63 ± 0.88 | 0.955 |
3.1. Correlation between professional identity, emotional intelligence, and work readiness
Statistically significant correlations were observed between work readiness, professional identity, and emotional intelligence among the participants (P < 0.05, Table 2).
3.2. Factors influencing career identity, emotional intelligence, and work readiness
Univariate analysis showed that multiple factors influenced participants’ professional identity, emotional intelligence, and work readiness scores (Table 3). Variables with P < 0.05 in the single factor were included in the multifactor linear regression model, which was refined using the stepwise method (inclusion criteria: P < 0.05, exclusion criteria: P ≥ 0.05). Table 4 shows the variable assignment table. Independent factors affecting work readiness included age, sex, frequency of online theory courses since the COVID-19 pandemic, professional identity, and emotional intelligence (Table 5).
Table 3.
Univariate analysis of professional identity, emotional intelligence and work readiness of new graduate nursing students
| Category | Emotional intelligence | t/F | P | Professional identity | t/F | P | Work readiness | t/F | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age | |||||||||
| ≤ 21(a) | 91.91 ± 13.96 | 2.550 | 0.055 | 68.11 ± 11.68b | 4.712 | 0.003 | 266.75 ± 49.99d | 4.013 | 0.008 |
| 22(b) | 88.54 ± 12.23 | 64.28 ± 10ad | 264.22 ± 37.56d | ||||||
| 23(c) | 88.4 ± 15.66 | 66.51 ± 11.41 | 274.59 ± 41.14 | ||||||
| ≥ 24(d) | 92.41 ± 14.66 | 69.52 ± 12.2b | 283.01 ± 48.05ab | ||||||
| Gender | |||||||||
| male | 94.83 ± 12.84 | 2.233 | 0.026 | 70.1 ± 11.59 | 1.935 | 0.054 | 298.33 ± 42.5 | 4.147 | < 0.001 |
| female | 89.64 ± 14.14 | 66.47 ± 11.29 | 268.46 ± 43.58 | ||||||
| Residency | |||||||||
| urban | 90.03 ± 13.54 | −0.092 | 0.927 | 66.12 ± 11.62 | −1.271 | 0.204 | 269.35 ± 42.82 | −0.850 | 0.396 |
| rural | 90.16 ± 14.66 | 67.48 ± 11.06 | 272.88 ± 45.71 | ||||||
| Only child | |||||||||
| yes | 91.15 ± 13.54 | 0.981 | 0.327 | 66.32 ± 12.16 | −0.540 | 0.589 | 276.27 ± 48.2 | 1.531 | 0.127 |
| no | 89.7 ± 14.3 | 66.97 ± 11.05 | 269.15 ± 42.59 | ||||||
| Educational background | |||||||||
| junior college or below | 92.49 ± 15.27 | 3.238 | 0.001 | 70.19 ± 11.22 | 5.948 | < 0.001 | 276.03 ± 48.34 | 2.106 | 0.036 |
| bachelor degree or above | 88.15 ± 12.76 | 64.04 ± 10.72 | 267.09 ± 40.3 | ||||||
| Whether any immediate family members are nurses | |||||||||
| yes | 94.03 ± 15.76 | 1.696 | 0.091 | 69.47 ± 10.96 | 1.432 | 0.153 | 278.09 ± 53.18 | 0.958 | 0.339 |
| no | 89.78 ± 13.92 | 66.58 ± 11.37 | 270.53 ± 43.48 | ||||||
| Whether your parents support you becoming a nurse | |||||||||
| yes | 90.89 ± 13.81 | 3.881 | < 0.001 | 68.07 ± 10.66 | 8.139 | < 0.001 | 272.75 ± 44.65 | 2.542 | 0.011 |
| no | 82.07 ± 14.54 | 53.93 ± 10.08 | 254.44 ± 36.61 | ||||||
| Whether you choose the nursing profession voluntarily | |||||||||
| yes | 92.14 ± 12.86 | 6.768 | < 0.001 | 69.02 ± 9.87 | 10.957 | < 0.001 | 276.55 ± 41.82 | 6.400 | < 0.001 |
| no | 78.93 ± 15.37 | 54.63 ± 11.28 | 241.26 ± 45.63 | ||||||
| Have you ever served as a student leader | |||||||||
| yes | 91.21 ± 13.56 | 2.323 | 0.021 | 67.86 ± 11.24 | 2.763 | 0.006 | 276.66 ± 43.11 | 3.724 | < 0.001 |
| no | 87.99 ± 14.86 | 64.78 ± 11.34 | 260.61 ± 44.63 | ||||||
| Have you ever received a scholarship | |||||||||
| yes | 92.24 ± 13.28 | 2.810 | 0.005 | 68.2 ± 11.01 | 2.279 | 0.023 | 278.04 ± 43.39 | 2.901 | 0.004 |
| no | 88.5 ± 14.49 | 65.75 ± 11.51 | 265.94 ± 44.27 | ||||||
| Frequency of online theory courses since the COVID-19 | |||||||||
| ≤ 5 times/week(a) | 89.99 ± 15.86 | 0.472 | 0.624 | 67.37 ± 11.75 | 0.592 | 0.554 | 271.02 ± 49.4 | 3.152 | 0.044 |
| 6–10 times/week(b) | 89.47 ± 13.04 | 66.07 ± 10.57 | 265.6 ± 41.35c | ||||||
| ≥ 11 times/week(c) | 91.03 ± 13.4 | 67.1 ± 11.92 | 278.31 ± 41.21b | ||||||
| Ways of teaching practical skills courses since the COVID-19 | |||||||||
| predominantly offline teaching | 90.84 ± 13.59 | 1.513 | 0.131 | 67.34 ± 10.58 | 1.300 | 0.195 | 272.8 ± 45.55 | 1.090 | 0.276 |
| Predominantly online teaching | 88.76 ± 14.89 | 65.82 ± 12.6 | 268.07 ± 41.82 | ||||||
| Modes of participation in internships | |||||||||
| Mainly clinical placements | 90.15 ± 14.09 | 0.775 | 0.439 | 66.85 ± 11.39 | 0.896 | 0.371 | 271.27 ± 44.28 | 0.720 | 0.472 |
| Primarily online internships | 85.67 ± 15 | 62.67 ± 7.87 | 258.17 ± 44.31 | ||||||
| Whether your willingness to engage in nursing has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic | |||||||||
| yes | 93.92 ± 12.06 | 8.191 | < 0.001 | 71.59 ± 8.72 | 15.629 | < 0.001 | 281.89 ± 42.01 | 7.725 | < 0.001 |
| no | 82.59 ± 14.79 | 57.38 ± 9.96 | 249.93 ± 40.9 | ||||||
| Are you confident in clinical nursing practice | |||||||||
| yes | 93.97 ± 11.92 | 10.194 | < 0.001 | 70.86 ± 8.79 | 15.940 | < 0.001 | 282.16 ± 40.19 | 9.805 | < 0.001 |
| no | 79.23 ± 14.08 | 55.39 ± 9.89 | 240.05 ± 40.32 | ||||||
Note:
P < 0.05 when compared with stratum a;
P < 0.05 when compared with stratum b;
P < 0.05 when compared with stratum c;
P < 0.05 when compared with stratum d
Table 4.
Assignment of independent variables in multifactor linear regression model
| Independent variables | Independent variables |
|---|---|
| Age | Dummy variables are defined with reference to “≤21”, 22=(Z1 = 1, Z2 = 0, Z3 = 0);23=(Z1 = 0, Z2 = 1, Z3 = 0) ≥24=(Z1 = 0, Z2 = 0, Z3 = 1) |
| Gender | Female = 0;Male = 1 |
| Educational background | Bachelor degree or above = 0;junior college or below = 1 |
| Whether your parents support you becoming a nurse | No = 0;Yes = 1 |
| Whether you choose the nursing profession voluntarily | No = 0;Yes = 1 |
| Have you ever served as a student leader | No = 0;Yes = 1 |
| Have you ever received a scholarship | No = 0;Yes = 1 |
| Frequency of online theory courses since the COVID-19 | Dummy variable for “≥11 times/week” as reference, ≤ 5 time/week=(Z1 = 1, Z2 = 0);6–10 time/week=(Z1 = 0, Z2 = 1) |
| Whether your willingness to engage in nursing has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic | No = 0;Yes = 1 |
| Are you confident in clinical nursing practice | No = 0;Yes = 1 |
| Professional identity | Original value |
| Emotional intelligence | Original value |
Table 5.
Results of multifactor linear regression model for work readiness
| Variables | β | SE | t | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Constant | 54.852 | 9.980 | 5.496 | < 0.001 |
| Age | ||||
| ≤ 21 | 0.0(reference) | |||
| 22 | 6.959 | 3.681 | 1.891 | 0.059 |
| 23 | 15.858 | 3.924 | 4.042 | < 0.001 |
| ≥ 24 | 13.965 | 4.093 | 3.412 | 0.001 |
| Gender | ||||
| Male | 19.578 | 4.872 | 4.019 | < 0.001 |
| Female | 0.0(reference) | |||
| Frequency of online theory courses since the COVID-19 | ||||
| ≤ 5 times/week | −8.032 | 3.498 | −2.296 | 0.022 |
| 6–10 times/week | −10.125 | 3.312 | −3.057 | 0.002 |
| ≥ 11 times/week | 0.0(reference) | |||
| Professional identity | 1.368 | 0.177 | 7.723 | < 0.001 |
| Emotional intelligence | 1.340 | 0.142 | 9.442 | < 0.001 |
Note: F = 424.386, P < 0.001;R2 = 0.5871, Adjusted R2 = 0.5797
3.3. Analysis of intermediation effects
Figure 1 includes the mediation effect model for work readiness, professional identity, and emotional intelligence. Model fit indices indicated acceptable fit: χ2/df ratio = 238.064/66 = 3.607, GFI = 0.934, CFI = 0.970, IFI = 0.971, RMSEA = 0.076. Emotional intelligence and professional identity had direct effects on work readiness, with effect sizes of 0.289 (95% CI, 0.106–0.457) and 0.562 (95% CI, 0.395–0.729), respectively. Additionally, emotional intelligence indirectly influenced work readiness through professional identity, with a mediating effect of 0.452 (95% CI = 0.319–0.603), accounting for 60.99% of the total effect. Together, professional identity and emotional intelligence explained 66.00% of the variance in work readiness (Table 6).
Figure 1.
Mediation effect model of new graduate nursing students’ work readiness with professional identity and emotional intelligence (*P<0.01)
Table 6.
Results of the mediated effects model of work readiness
| Effect | Coefficient | Bootstrap SE | 95% Confidence Interval | P | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lower | Upper | ||||
| Direct effect | |||||
| Emotional intelligence→Professional identity | 0.805 | 0.024 | 0.755 | 0.850 | < 0.001 |
| Professional identity→Work readiness | 0.562 | 0.086 | 0.395 | 0.729 | < 0.001 |
| Emotional intelligence→Work readiness | 0.289 | 0.089 | 0.106 | 0.457 | 0.002 |
| Indirect effect | |||||
| Emotional intelligence→Professional identity→Work readiness | 0.452 | 0.073 | 0.319 | 0.603 | < 0.001 |
| Total effect | |||||
| Emotional intelligence→Professional identity | 0.805 | 0.024 | 0.755 | 0.850 | < 0.001 |
| Professional identity→Work readiness | 0.562 | 0.086 | 0.395 | 0.729 | < 0.001 |
| Emotional intelligence→Work readiness | 0.741 | 0.033 | 0.668 | 0.800 | 0.001 |
4. Discussion
This study analyzed the role positioning and quantitative relationship between emotional intelligence and professional identity in shaping work readiness. Results showed that professional identity and emotional intelligence both positively predicted work readiness, while professional identity mediated the relationship between emotional intelligence and work readiness, accounting for 60.99% of the total effect. This shows that professional identity not only independently affects work readiness but also plays an important mediating role between emotional intelligence and work readiness. Jiang et al. (Jiang et al.,2024; Levin et al., 2022; Pirzadeh et al., 2023) similarly found that professional identity greatly affects work readiness and performance, reaffirming its central role. These findings provide a new perspective for educational institutions and healthcare organizations to improve nursing students’ work readiness and adaptability.
This study revealed that the work readiness score of newly graduated nursing students in Chongqing (271.10 ± 44.26) was higher than that of intern nursing students in Shandong, China (264.91 ± 59.97), newly employed nurses in Yunnan (259.31 ± 48.58), and newly graduated nursing students in Guangzhou (262.20 ± 44.97), but lower than higher vocational nursing students in Henan (273.09 ± 58.58). This may be due to differences in regional culture, research populations, and economic development levels (Xing et al., 2024; Song et al., 2023; Chen et al., 2022; Pan et al., 2023). Additionally, junior college nursing students scored higher than undergraduate nursing students, likely because higher-vocational colleges emphasize skill-based training over the theoretical and scientific research focus of undergraduate programs. This study also analyzed the relationship between nursing students’ gender, family support, voluntary career choices, cadre experience, and scholarships in relation to work readiness. Male nursing students displayed significantly higher work readiness than females, potentially due to the demand for male nurses in operating rooms, orthopedics, intensive care medicine, and emergency departments. Gender-based hiring preferences may affect job readiness. Nursing students with family support and those who voluntarily chose nursing exhibited higher work readiness scores, aligning with Chen et al.’s findings (Chen et al., 2022). These students demonstrated greater enthusiasm for learning and stronger nursing knowledge and skills. Cadre experience during their school years was associated with higher work readiness. Work experience can effectively train students to communicate with others, solve problems, and coordinate relationships. These abilities correspond to social skills and organizational acumen in work readiness, making them more confident in coping with clinical nursing work. Scholarship recipients also scored higher, reflecting their superior academic-related comprehensive qualities and adaptability skills, which support a smoother transition into professional roles.
This study identified a positive correlation between emotional intelligence and work readiness (r = 0.696, P < 0.001), indicating that students with higher emotional intelligence are better equipped to evaluate and manage emotions, use emotions reasonably, and improve work readiness. Emotional intelligence serves as an important psychological motivation resource, promoting positive work performance (Zhang et al., 2021). Nursing students with high emotional intelligence tend to have a strong sense of psychological control; are good at capturing the emotions of patients, colleagues, and leaders; manage and regulate their own emotions; change their thinking in time when facing conflicts; and adopt coordinated conflict management strategies to maintain good emotional relationships. In this study, the average emotional intelligence score was 90.09 ± 14.09, which was considered medium. Studies have shown that emotional intelligence can be improved through training. Future nursing educators should integrate emotional intelligence training into nursing humanities courses and professional training. Strategies such as mindfulness courses, academic lectures, special training, and social practice can help nursing students improve emotional management skills, thereby enhancing emotional intelligence and work readiness (Zeng et al., 2024). A positive correlation was also observed between professional identity and work readiness (r = 0.680, P < 0.001), consistent with Xu Duanya et al.’s findings (Xu et al.,2023). Professional identity, as a work-related value, significantly influences students’ commitment to nursing. A strong professional identity fosters greater enthusiasm and dedication, serving as a key indicator of good work readiness.
5. Limitations
The research participants were exclusively from Chongqing, an important city in western China, with no samples collected from other regions. This geographic limitation may have introduced sampling bias, potentially affecting the result’s accuracy. Additionally, the cross-sectional study design could not establish a causal relationship among the variables. Future studies should employ longitudinal or experimental designs to validate the causal hypotheses proposed.
6. Conclusion
This study found that emotional intelligence and professional identity significantly influence job readiness, with professional identity serving as a key mediator between emotional intelligence and job readiness. These findings underscore the need for schools, medical institutions, and healthcare management institutions to prioritize the development of nursing students’ emotional intelligence and professional identity. Efforts should focus on strengthening professional identity and fostering a sense of professional honor, improving nurses’ social and economic status, improving their job readiness, and reducing turnover rate.
7. Implications for Nursing & Health Policy
Our findings have several practical implications. First, the work readiness, professional identity, and emotional intelligence of new nurses need further improvement. Both professional identity and emotional intelligence are positively correlated with work readiness, which deserve more attention from nursing teachers and nursing managers. Second, professional identity plays a mediating role between emotional intelligence and work readiness. Nursing educators should pay attention to and cultivate the professional identity of nursing students in the early stage of their enrollment.
Acknowledgements
We would like to thank Editage (www.editage.cn) for English language editing. The teachers who participated in the study and the nurse students who participated in the survey are gratefully acknowledged.
Funding information
This study was supported by the Program for Youth Innovation in Future Medicine, Chongqing Medical University [Grant Number: W0028]; the Research Project of Nursing Department of Children’s Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University [Grant Number: CHCQMU2023.16]; Chongqing Municipal Education Commission 2024 Higher Education Teaching Reform Research Project [Grant Number: 243098]; Chongqing Municipal Education Commission’s 14th Five-Year Key Discipline Support Project [Grant Number: 20240104] ; School of Pediatrics 2021 Faculty Education and Teaching Research Programs[Grant Number: EY202105] and General Project of Chongqing Natural Science Foundation in 2022 (Grant Number: CSTB2022NSCQ-MSX0131).
Footnotes
Additional Declarations: No competing interests reported.
Ethical statement and consent to participate
This study adhered strictly to the ethical principles of the declaration of Helsinki, and obtained written approval from the Ethics Review Committee of the Children’s Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, and the grant number was 2023 - 468. In addition, this study obtained informed consent from all participants.
Consent for publication
not applicable.
Conflicts of interest
None declared.
Patient or Public Contribution
The teachers who participated in the study and the nurse students who participated in the survey are gratefully acknowledged, as without them it would not be possible to complete the study.
Contributor Information
Liping Chen, Department of Endocrinology, Chongqing Medical University Affiliated Children’s Hospital.
Liping Wu, Department of Nursing, Chongqing Medical University Affiliated Children’s Hospital.
Heping Liao, School of Nursing, Chongqing Medical University.
Qin Lin, Department of Endocrinology, Chongqing Medical University Affiliated Children’s Hospital.
Yetao Luo, Department of Nosocomial Infection Control, Second Affiliated Hospital, Army Medical University.
Data availability statement
The datasets used during the study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.
References
- 1.National Health and Safety Commission (NHSC). Circular of the National Health Commission on the issuance of the National Nursing Career Development Plan (2021-2025).https://www.gov.cn/zhengce/zhengceku/2022-05/09/content_5689354.htm [Google Scholar]
- 2.WHO. Global Strategy on Human Resources for Health: Workforce 2030: Reporting At Seventy-fifth World Health Assembly [EB/OL]. (2023-12)[2024-1-7]. https://www.who.int/hrh/resources/pub_globstrathrh-2030/zh/). [Google Scholar]
- 3.Chen L, Lin Q, Xu Y, Wu L. Nursing students’ work readiness and its influencing factors before participating in a nurse residency program: a multicenter cross-sectional study. Front Med (Lausanne). 2024,11:1391907. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 4.Zhu Yaqi, Zhang Yuanyuan, Zhang Yaqing. Research progress on transition shock of newly graduated nurses. Chinese Nursing Management. 2023,23(6):882–886. [Google Scholar]
- 5.See ECW, Koh SSL, Baladram S, et al. Role transition of newly graduated nurses from nursing students to registered nurses: A qualitative systematic review. Nurse Educ Today. 2023,121:105702. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 6.Kaldal MH, Conroy T, Feo R, et al. Umbrella review: Newly graduated nurses’ experiences of providing direct care in hospital settings. J Adv Nurs. 2023,79(6):2058–2069. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 7.Alharbi HF, Alzahrani J, Hamed A, et al. The Experiences of Newly Graduated Nurses during Their First Year of Practice. Healthcare (Basel). 2023,11(14):2048. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 8.Hu F, Ding XB, Zhang RH, et al. A transition programme to enhance ICU new graduate nurses’ professional identity and intention to remain employed: A pre- and post evaluation. Nurs Open. 2023,10(3):1517–1525. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 9.Walker A, Yong M, Pang L, et al. Work readiness of graduate health professionals. Nurse Educ Today, 2013,33(2):116–22. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 10.Ogawa M, Ae R, Sasahara T, et al. Effective prevention of early resignation of newly graduated nurses: a transactional analysis. BMC Nurs. 2024,23(1):724. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 11.Novalia A, Rachmi SF, Yetti K. Clinical decision-making of bachelor and clinical internship (professional) nursing students in Indonesia. J Public Health Res. 2021,11(2):2735. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 12.Najafl B, Nasiri A. Explaining Novice Nurses’ Experience of Weak Professional Confidence: A Qualitative Study. SAGE Open Nurs. 2023,9:23779608231153457. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 13.Horii S, Nguyen CTM, Pham HTT, Amaike N, Ho HT, Aiga H. Effectiveness of a standard clinical training program in new graduate nurses’ competencies in Vietnam: A quasi-experimental longitudinal study with a difference-in-differences design. PLoS One. 2021,16(7):e0254238. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 14.Lifang He, Hongyu Huang, Chunyan Li, et al. Work readiness of newly graduated nurses: a review. Chinese Journal of Nursing. 2021,56(2):305–309. [Google Scholar]
- 15.Torre D, Daley B. Emotional intelligence: Mapping an elusive concept. Med Teach,2023,45(7):698–700. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 16.Giménez-Espert MDC, Prado-Gascó VJ. The role of empathy and emotional intelligence in nurses’ communication attitudes using regression models and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis models. J Clin Nurs. 2018,27(13-14):2661–2672. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 17.Xiaoling Zhang, Mengfei Geng, et al. Establishment of norms for the nurse emotional intelligences scale in 3-A-grade general hospital in China. Journal of Nurses Training. 2024,39(13):1345–1349,1434. [Google Scholar]
- 18.Xiaoling Zhang, Mengfei Geng, et al. Potential categories of emotional intelligences among clinical nurses and their relationship with communication ability. Chinese Nursing Research. 2024,38(18):3227–3234. [Google Scholar]
- 19.Huaxia Deng, Xiaoqin Bi, Jin Yang, et al. Correlation between emotional intelligence and self-efficacy of low-aged nurses. Modern Nurse. 2024,31(6):129–133. [Google Scholar]
- 20.Rong Li, Qiulin Chen, Haiyan Li, et al. Analysis of correlation between professional identity and job engagement of nursing interns. Military Nursing. 2024,41(7):64–67. [Google Scholar]
- 21.Li Mengyuan, Suyun Li, Jiaohua Yu, et al. A survey on professional identity and intension to stay among newly graduated nurses in the early standardized training stage[J].Journal of Nursing Science,2018,33(17):68–70. [Google Scholar]
- 22.Weixian Chen, Su Zhou, Suya Sun, et al. Analysis of the correlation between professional loyalty and willingness to stay in nursing nurses. China Medical Herald, 2022, 19(30): 66–69,74. [Google Scholar]
- 23.Zhang Y, Wu J, Fang Z, et al. Newly graduated nurses’ intention to leave in their first year of practice in Shanghai: A longitudinal study. Nurs Outlook, 2017,65(2):202–211. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 24.Fang J. Statistical methods for biomedical research[M]. BEI JING: Higher Education Publishing House,2007:283–288. [Google Scholar]
- 25.Wang Y. A Reliability Study of the Chinese Version of the Emotional Intelligence Scale[D]. HU Nan: Central South University,2010. [Google Scholar]
- 26.Lin Liu, Yufang Hao, Xiaohong Liu. Development of professional identity scale for nurse. Military Nursing. 2011,28(3):18–20. [Google Scholar]
- 27.Li J, Gong Y, Chen J, et al. Psychometric properties assessment of Chinese version of work readiness scale for graduate nurses (WRS-GN) and associated factors of work readiness: Two cross-sectional studies. Nurse Educ Today,2020,89:104416. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 28.Jiang Z, Su Y, Meng R, et al. The effects of work readiness, organizational justice and professional identity on the work performance of new nurses: a cross-sectional survey. BMC Nurs. 2024,23(1):759. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 29.Levin L, Roziner I, Savaya R. Professional identity, perceived job performance and sense of personal accomplishment among social workers in Israel: the overriding significance of the working alliance. Health Soc Care Commun. 2022;30(2):538–547. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 30.Pirzadeh A, Kamran A, Hasanzadeh M. The relationship between Professional Identity, performance and attitude to medical errors self-reporting among medical students. J Adv Med Educ Professionalism. 2023;11(1):61–67. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- 31.Jiexia Xing, Wenjia Wang, Linjia Yu. Latent profile analysis and its influencing factors of the readiness of clinical internship nursingstudents in universities in Shandong Province. Chinese Nursing Research. 2024,38(7):1196–1201. [Google Scholar]
- 32.Yunhua Song, Guimei Zhang, Xiaolin Tian. he current situation and correlation between Job Readiness and clinical sense of belonging of newlyemployed nurses. Nursing Practice and Research. 2023,20(22):3464–3468. [Google Scholar]
- 33.Jieya Chen, Yanyi Huang, Haixia Shi, et al. The current status and associated factors of work readiness in nursing graduates. Chinese Journal of Nursing Education. 2022,19(11):1002–1006. [Google Scholar]
- 34.Liniu Pan, Shuang Zhang, Hui Gao, et al. The current status and influencing factors of work readiness among higher vocational graduate nursing student in Henan province, China. Medical Higher Vocational Education and Modern Nursing. 2023,6(2):98–102. [Google Scholar]
- 35.Dan Zhang, Xiaoqin Yu, Huanhuan Wu, et al. Effect of emotion management training on the emotional intelligence level of regularly trained nurses. The Medical Forum, 2021,25(30):4418–4420. [Google Scholar]
- 36.Wei Zeng, Meijun Li, Ating Liu, et al. The Influence of Mindfulness Course on Emotional Intelligence and Empathy Ability of Nursing Students in Higher Vocational Colleges. Zhiye Jishu. 2024,23(8):84–89. [Google Scholar]
- 37.Duanya Xu, Yanfang Ai, Xuehua Zhu. Study on the status quo of and correlation between work readiness and professional identity of nursing students in internship. Education of Chinese Medicine. 2023,42(4):57–61. [Google Scholar]
Associated Data
This section collects any data citations, data availability statements, or supplementary materials included in this article.
Data Availability Statement
The datasets used during the study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.