Objectives: Burnout influences students' academic performance and mental health. This study analyzed the relationship between professional identity, self-directed learning ability, and burnout, and examined the mediating effect of self-directed learning ability between professional identity and burnout among nursing students.
Methods: 884 nursing students were recruited at two medical universities in China. Demographic information, Academic Burnout Scale, Professional Identity Questionnaire for Nursing Students, and Self-directed Learning Instrument were distributed to collect data.
Results: Both professional identity (β = -0.17) and self-directed learning ability (β = -0.43) showed negative associations with students' burnout. Meanwhile, there was a partial mediating effect of self-directed learning ability between professional identity and burnout (-0.24, 95% CI = -0.30, -0.20).
Conclusions: Nursing educators should emphasize on developing effective strategies to improve nursing students' professional identity and self-directed learning ability to prevent or reduce their burnout.
Keywords: Burnout; Mediation analysis; Nursing; Nursing students; Professional identity; Self-directed learning.
© 2024 The Authors.