A Study On The Influence Of Nurse Professional Self-concept And Professional Practice Environment On Nurses' Perceived Professional Benefits

ObjectiveTo investigate the current status of nurses' perceived professional benefits,professional self-concept and professional practice environment at 3 thirdgrade class-A general hospitals,to analyze the influencing factors of the nurses' perceived professional benefits and explore the triadic relationship.It might provide the basic references for nursing managers on enhancement of the level of nurses' perceived professional benefits and nursing human resource management.MethodsTotally 783 nurses were enrolled from 3 third-grade class-A general hospitals in Baoding City of Hebei Province by cluster sampling.The self-designed general information questionnaire,nurses' perceived professional benefits(NPPB)scale,nursing professional self concept scale and practice environment scale(PES)were used as the research instruments.Established database with the aid of EpiData 3.1 and we used the software SPSS18.0 and AMOS21.0 for the data analysis.The statistical inference were assessed by the statistical description,t-test,one-way analysis of variance,linear correlation,multiple stepwise regression and the structural equation model(SEM).Results(1)The total score of nurses' perceived professional benefits was(127.99±18.68),and its average score was(3.88±0.57),so it was in the middle level.The sequence of each dimension' s score rate,from high to low,was personal growth(4.06±0.61),a sense of belonging to work team(4.02±0.59),good patient-nurse relationship(3.95±0.69),recognition from families and friends(3.74±0.69),positive professional perception(3.59±0.69).The highest score was personal growth(4.06±0.61),the lowest score was positive professional perception(3.59±0.69).The differences of the scores of nurses' perceived professional benefits were statistically significant at age,marital status,education background,duties,occupational qualifications,years of working and monthly income(P<0.05).The differences of the scores of nurses' perceived professional benefits were not statistically significant at gender,origin,child status,human relations,department and work shift(P>0.05).(2)The total score of professional self-concept was(82.45±9.89),and its mean was(2.75±0.33),so it was in the middle level.The rank of each dimension' s mean,from high to low,was skills(3.13±0.53),flexibility(2.89±0.50),communication(2.62±0.39),leadership(2.59±0.49),satisfaction(2.56±0.35).The highest score was skills(3.13±0.53),the lowest score was satisfaction(2.56±0.35).The total score of professional practice environment was(86.66±12.46),and its mean was(2.80±0.40),so it was in the middle level.The rank of each dimension' s mean,from high to low,was medical cooperation(3.00±0.50),nursing management ability and leadership style(2.97±0.47),high quality nursing service(2.90±0.42),nurse participation in hospital affairs(2.68±0.49),sufficient man power and material resources(2.42±0.61).The highest score was medical cooperation(3.00±0.50),the lowest score was sufficient man power and material resources(2.42±0.61).(3)The professional self-concept was positive correlated to nurses' perceived professional benefits(r=0.425,P<0.01);professional practice environment was positive correlated to nurses' perceived professional benefits(r=0.577,P<0.01);the professional self-concept was positive correlated to professional practice environment(r=0.386,P<0.01).(4)Multiple stepwise regression revealed that professional self-concept dimensions of flexibility,satisfaction,leadership,skills were the influencing factors of nurses' perceived professional benefits(P<0.05),which were positive factors except leadership.It might explain the nurses' perceived professional benefits 29.4% of the total variation.Professional practice environment dimensions of high quality nursing service,nurse participation in hospital affairs,medical cooperation,sufficient man power and material resources,nursing management ability and leadership style were the influencing factors of nurses' perceived professional benefits(P<0.05),it might explain the nurses' perceived professional benefits 33.9% of the total variation.Professional practice environment dimensions of nurse participation in hospital affairs,medical cooperation,high quality nursing service were the influencing factors of nurses' professional self-concept(P<0.05),it might explain the nurses' professional self-concept 16.2% of the total variation.(5)Made the structural equation model(SEM)of the influencing factors of the nurses' perceived professional benefits and the structural equation model' s goodness of fit was fine.The score of professional practice environment could positively predict the score of nurses' perceived professional benefits;the score of professional self-concept could forecast nurses' perceived professional benefits positively;the score of professional practice environment had obviously positive predicative function on the score of professional self-concept;professional self-concept played a partly intermediary role in the relation between professional practice environment and nurses' perceived professional benefits.Conclusions(1)The current level of nurses' perceived professional benefits is in the middle level.The influencing factors of the nurses' perceived professional benefits are age,marital status,education background,duties,occupational qualifications,human relations,years of working and monthly income.(2)The score of professional self-concept and professional practice environment were in the middle level.(3)Professional self-concept dimensions of flexibility,satisfaction,leadership,skills were the influencing factors of nurses' perceived professional benefits;professional practice environment dimensions of high quality nursing service,nurse participation in hospital affairs,medical cooperation,sufficient man power and material resources,nursing management ability and leadership style were the influencing factors of nurses' perceived professional benefit.(4)Not only can professional practice environment affect nurses' perceived professional benefits directly,but also can professional practice environment predict nurses' perceived professional benefits through professional self-concept' s partly intermediary role indirectly.