Research Article: Emotional intelligence and clinical decision-making confidence in nurses: the chain mediating effect of creative self-efficacy and self-directed learning
Abstract:
Clinical decision-making competence underpins autonomous nursing practice. While external influences are documented, context-dependent psychological mechanisms linking emotional intelligence (EI) to clinical decision-making confidence (CDMC) remain unexplored. Using social cognitive theory, this cross-sectional study of 1,126 nurses from 12 Zhejiang tertiary hospitals examined EI’ s influence on CDMC via sequential mediation by creative self-efficacy (CSE) and self-directed learning (SDL), moderated by department stress and clinical experience.
Nurses completed measures of EI (WLEIS), CDMC (CDMSCS), CSE, and SDL. Analyses used structural equation modeling (SEM) with bias-corrected bootstrapping and multi-group SEM with Bonferroni correction to test moderation by department type (high-stress: ICU/emergency/OR vs. non-high-stress) and experience (?5 vs. >5?years).
The model showed excellent fit ( ? 2 /df =?2.999, RMSEA =?0.030, CFI =?0.963, GFI =?0.934). EI predicted CDMC directly (27.16% of total effect) and indirectly via CSE (23.16%), SDL (25.26%), and sequential mediation (24.42%; 72.84% total indirect effect). Moderation revealed: In high-stress units (n?=?159), the EI???CSE???CDMC path was stronger ( ? =?0.28, 95% CI [0.22, 0.35] vs. non-high-stress ? =?0.21, 95% CI [0.17, 0.26]; ? ? =?0.07, p =?0.012). Conversely, EI???SDL???CDMC dominated in non-high-stress units ( ? =?0.27 vs. 0.20; ? ? =?0.07, p =?0.018), particularly pediatrics/gynecology. For nurses with ?5?years’ experience (n?=?254), sequential mediation (EI???CSE???SDL???CDMC; ? =?0.31, 95% CI [0.25, 0.38]) was primary, with negligible direct effects ( ? =?0.08, p =?0.12). Nurses with >5?years’ experience (n?=?872) showed strengthened direct EI???CDMC effects ( ? =?0.19, p =?0.003) and reduced SDL reliance (? ? =?0.12, p =?0.007), suggesting experience compensates for psychological resource utilization.
EI enhances CDMC through context-contingent pathways: CSE is pivotal in high-stress environments, SDL prevails in non-high-stress units (notably pediatrics/gynecology), and experiential knowledge supersedes mediation pathways with seniority. These findings challenge uniform decision-making models, urging healthcare systems to implement context/experience-specific strategies—such as stress-adapted EI training for critical care nurses and experiential integration for seniors—to optimize clinical decision-making across nursing settings.
Introduction:
Clinical decision-making competence underpins autonomous nursing practice. While external influences are documented, context-dependent psychological mechanisms linking emotional intelligence (EI) to clinical decision-making confidence (CDMC) remain unexplored. Using social cognitive theory, this cross-sectional study of 1,126 nurses from 12 Zhejiang tertiary hospitals examined EI’ s influence on CDMC via sequential mediation by creative self-efficacy (CSE) and self-directed learning (SDL), moderated by department…
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