Wang Xuan, Xiang Cui, Liang Ting, Gou Li
The findings suggest that nursing interns with stronger self-leadership may be more inclined to reflect on professional expectations and align their behaviour with professional values during clinical placement. Activism-related professional values received comparatively lower ratings. Self-leadership was positively associated with nursing interns' professional values and may warrant further investigation in internship education and support.
AIM: To describe nursing professional values among nursing interns in China and examine the association between self-leadership and these values.
BACKGROUND: Nursing interns are an essential part of the future nursing workforce, and the development of professional values during internships supports ethical practice and high-quality patient care. Self-leadership, a self-regulatory process that guides motivation and behaviour, has been increasingly recognised as a resource for professional development. However, evidence on its relationship with nursing interns' professional values remains limited.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional survey at a tertiary general teaching hospital in China. Participants completed a general information questionnaire, the Chinese versions of the Revised Self-Leadership Questionnaire (RSLQ) and the Nurses Professional Values Scale-Revised (NPVS-R). Associations were examined using Pearson's correlation and multiple linear regression analyses.
RESULTS: The mean total NPVS-R score among the 374 nursing interns was 96.36 ± 16.38. Pearson's correlation analysis showed a significant positive correlation between self-leadership and nursing professional values among nursing interns (r = 0.435, p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that gender (B = 0.254, p = 0.002), participation in nursing-related academic activities (B = -0.148, p = 0.021), and self-leadership (B = 0.427, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with nursing interns' professional values. The model accounted for 23.2% of the variance (adjusted R2 = 0.232).
CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that nursing interns with stronger self-leadership may be more inclined to reflect on professional expectations and align their behaviour with professional values during clinical placement. Activism-related professional values received comparatively lower ratings. Self-leadership was positively associated with nursing interns' professional values and may warrant further investigation in internship education and support.
IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: Practice-based self-leadership activities, preceptor coaching, and mentored professional socialisation could be explored in future research on nursing internship education.
IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH POLICY: At the organisational and policy levels, the findings may inform future evaluation of approaches involving internship standards, structured mentorship, and clinical learning environments.