A Study On The Relationship Between The Social Comparison And Career Growth Of Nurses In The Third-Grade Class-A Hospital

Objective:To investigate the status of career growth of nurses in the third-grade class-A hospital,analyze the factors affecting the career growth of nurses,and explore the relationship between the career growth of nurses and the tendency of social comparison and direction,and provide a reference for the promotion of the career growth of nurses.Methods:Using a random equal proportion sampling method,total of 467 clinical nurses from 4 third-grade class-A general hospitals in Nanchang city were collected from during the period June to November 2017.They were investigated by the general information questionnaire,the Career Growth Scale and the Iowa-Netherland Comparison Orientation Measure(INCOM).Results:1.The total average score of nurses’ career growth was 3.26 ±0.70.The average score of dimensions from high to low in turn were : career ability improvement was 3.84±0.71,career goal progress was 3.43 ±0.85,promotion speed was 2.86 ±0.97 and salary increase was 2.78 ±0.94.The nurse career growth differed across departments,age,professional title,human relations,working years,purpose of work and monthly night shifts were statistically significant difference(P<0.05).2.The social comparison of nurses was 3.06 ±0.57,the concept comparison dimension was 3.45 ±0.59,the ability comparison dimension was 2.74 ±0.73.The average score of upward social comparison was 3.29 ±0.83,and that of downward social comparison was 1.97 ±0.90.3.The total score of career growth of nurses in the third-grade class-A hospital was positively correlated with the social comparative tendency(r=0.432,P < 0.01),It was positively correlated with the upward social comparison(r=0.525,P < 0.01)and the correlation was negatively correlated with the downward social comparison(r=-0.281,P < 0.01).4.Multiple stepwise regression analysis showed that upward social comparison,concept comparison,ability comparison,professional title,likes nursing work and age,which could explain45.8% of variation of the nurses career growth.Conclusions:1.The career growth of in the third-grade class-A hospital nurses was in the moderate level,The mean score of career capacity was the highest,and the salary increase was the lowest.The major factors affecting nurses’ career growth of nurses were department,age,professional title,personnel relations,working years,purpose of work and number of night shifts per month.2.The social comparison tendency of nurses in the third-grade class-A hospital was in the moderate level,in which concept comparisons was more than ability comparisons.In the direction of social comparison,nurses generally adopt upward social comparisons.3.The career growth of nurses in the third-grade class-A hospital was positively correlated with social comparison tendency,The results indicated that the higher the frequency of nurses adopting social comparison was,the higher the degree of career growth was;The nurses’ career growth was positively correlated with upward society,and negatively correlated with downward society,it means that more comparing a nurse with a colleague who was better than himself was beneficial to career growth,and comparing with a colleague who is less able than himself,is not conducive to career growth.4.Upward social comparisons,concept comparisons and ability comparisons were important predictors of nurses’ career growth.