Relationship between clinical belonging, professional identity, and nursing information ability among nursing interns: Model construction.

Background: Clinical belonging refers to the feeling that clinical medical staff feel recognized and accepted by others or groups. The level of clinical belonging of nursing interns affects students' learning motivation and confidence, which in turn affects their clinical practice behavior.

Aim: To explore the effects of professional identity and nursing information ability on clinical belonging among nursing interns and establish a relationship model for these factors.

Methods: The researchers used the convenience sampling method to select 682 nursing interns from China. The survey was conducted using a general information questionnaire, clinical sense of belonging scale, nursing information ability self-assessment scale, and a nursing student professional identity questionnaire. The mediating effect of nursing information ability between their professional identity and clinical sense of belonging was analyzed using SPSS 21.0 and the path analysis in structural equation modeling.

Results: The total scores of clinical belonging, professional identity, and nursing information ability of nursing interns were (104.29 ± 13.11) points, (57.89 ± 7.16) points, and (70.29 ± 6.20) points, respectively. Nursing information ability had a direct effect on the clinical sense of belonging (effect value = 0.46, < 0.05). Occupational identity had a direct effect (effect value = 0.52, < 0.05) and an indirect effect (effect value = 0.21, < 0.05) on clinical belonging.

Conclusion: Nursing administrators in nursing colleges and hospitals should take effective measures to improve the professional identity and nursing information ability of nursing interns, as well as the clinical sense of belonging among nursing interns.