Aim: To explore the serial-multiple mediation of job control and perceived organisational innovation climate between psychological capital and innovation behaviour among Chinese nurses through structural equation modelling.
Background: Nurses' innovation not only promotes the development of the nursing industry but also improves the quality of care and promotes patient prognosis. Thus, it is essential to clarify the factors affecting nurses' innovative behaviour and to provide a theoretical basis for improving nurses' innovative behaviour.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 4,677 Chinese nurses from 18 hospitals. The PCQ-R, Nurses' Job Control Scale, the Nurses' Organizational Innovation Climate Scale, and the Nurses' Innovation Behaviour Scale were used to conduct a questionnaire survey.
Results: According to the serial-multiple mediation, the mediating role of job control and perceived organisational innovation climate between psychological capital and innovative behaviour is significant. (Z = 7.25, p < .05).
Conclusions: Higher psychological capital can promote nurses' innovation behaviour. Therefore, improving psychological capital can enhance the innovation behaviour of nurses.
Implications for nursing management: It is essential to change hospital working environments for enhancing the innovation behaviour of health professionals. Managers could promote nurses' innovative behaviour by strengthening nurses' psychological capital.
Keywords: Chinese nurses; innovation behaviour; job control; perceived organisational innovation climate; psychological capital.
© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.