Hospital ethical climate and nurses’ cyber ethics literacy: the mediating role of compassion competence

Objective This study examined the current level of nurses’ cyber ethics literacy in tertiary hospitals in China and explored its associations with perceived hospital ethical climate and nurses’ compassion competence. A theory-driven, non-causal mediation model was used to examine whether compassion competence statistically mediated the association between hospital ethical climate and cyber ethics literacy. Methods A multicentre cross-sectional survey was conducted between September and November 2024. Guided by social cognitive theory, nurses’ cyber ethics literacy, hospital ethical climate, and compassion competence were measured using the Nurses’ Cyber Ethics Literacy Questionnaire, the Hospital Ethical Climate Scale, and the Compassion Competence Scale for Nurses, respectively, to analyze the correlations among the three variables. Results Nurses’ cyber ethics literacy was at a moderately high level (136.82 ± 23.89). Cyber ethics literacy was positively correlated with perceived hospital ethical climate ( r = 0.370, p < 0.01) and compassion competence ( r = 0.290, p < 0.01). In the theoretical structural equation model, compassion competence partially mediated the association between hospital ethical climate and cyber ethics literacy, with the standardized indirect effect accounting for 26.08% of the total effect. Conclusion Hospital ethical climate and compassion competence were positively associated with nurses’ cyber ethics literacy. The mediation result is compatible with the proposed Social Cognitive Theory framework, suggesting that a supportive ethical environment may be linked to better cyber ethics literacy partly through stronger compassion competence. Because the study was cross-sectional and based on self-report data, causal inferences cannot be drawn.