Influence of psychological capital on core competency for new nurses

Junqiang Wang; Jiya Chen; Lingzhi Zheng; Baojin Zeng; Xiaoting Yan; Mengjie Xia; Lili Chen

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0289105

Influence of psychological capital on core competency for new nurses

PLoS One. 2023 Aug 10;18(8):e0289105. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289105. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Junqiang Wang¹, Jiya Chen², Lingzhi Zheng³, Baojin Zeng¹, Xiaoting Yan⁴, Mengjie Xia^{5

6}, Lili Chen²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Gynecology, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.
² Department of Nursing, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.
³ Department of Obstetrics, Taizhou Hospital of Zhejiang Province Affiliated to Wenzhou Medical University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁴ Central Sterile Supply Department, Taizhou Central Hospital (Taizhou University Hospital), Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁵ School of Medicine, Taizhou University, Taizhou, Zhejiang, China.
⁶ School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine Bioscience & Nursing, MAHSA University, Jenjarom, Selangor, Malaysia.

Abstract

Background: The development of core competency is crucial for the success of new nurses, enabling them to deliver high-quality care. Psychological capital (PsyCap), encompassing self-efficacy, optimism, hope, and resilience, significantly influences individuals' abilities and achievements across various professions. However, limited research has specifically examined the impact of PsyCap on the core competency of new nurses. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the relationship between PsyCap and core competency development in new nurses, providing valuable strategic insights for improving PsyCap and promoting core competence acquisition.

Methods: 142 new nurses were chosen for the investigation using a convenient cluster sampling method. The questionnaire included components on socio-demographic characteristics, the Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses (CIRN), and the PsyCap Questionnaire-24 (PCQ-24). The t-test, One-Way ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis and hierarchical multiple regression were used for statistical analysis.

Result: The number of valid questionnaires was 138, and the effective return rate was 97.2%. The overall mean score for core competencies was 171.01 (SD 25.34), and the PsyCap score was 104.76(SD 13.71). The PsyCap of new nurses was highly correlated with core competency, with a correlation coefficient of r = 0.7, p < 0.01. Self-efficacy of PsyCap is a significant independent predictor of core competency (adjust R2 = 0.49).

Conclusion: Self-efficacy in PsyCap is an important predictor of new nurses' core competency. Nursing managers should pay sufficient attention to the cultivation and development of new nurses' PsyCap, with particular emphasis on enhancing self-efficacy to improve their core competency.

Copyright: © 2023 Wang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Nurses*
Optimism*
Self Efficacy
Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

-C. L. -NO.22EZB14 -Taizhou Enze Medical Center (Group) Scientific Research Project Fund -This is a hospital-funded project, so there is no URL -The funders play any role in the data collection and decision to publish.