Relationships of professional identity and psychological reward satisfaction with subjective well-being among Chinese nurses

Aim: This study aimed at exploring the impact of professional identity and psychological reward satisfaction on subjective well-being and clarifying the effect of psychological reward satisfaction on this relationship.

Background: People know little about the effect of psychological reward satisfaction on the relationship between professional identity and subjective well-being.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out on 1,009 nurses from Qiqihar City, Heilongjiang Province of China. Professional Identity Scale, Psychological Reward Satisfaction Scale and General Well-Being Schedule were used to assess professional identity, psychological reward satisfaction and subjective well-being, respectively. Associations were explored by using structural equation modelling.

Results: The subjective well-being of 436 (43.2%) nurses was at low and moderate levels. After the adjustment of potential confounding factors, professional identity was still associated with subjective well-being (B = 3.035, β = 0.215, p < .001). Professional identity (r = .308) and psychological reward satisfaction (r = .309) were positively correlated with subjective well-being. Psychological reward satisfaction mediated the association between professional identity and subjective well-being (effect = 0.114, p < .001).

Conclusion: This study suggested that the subjective well-being of nurses should be improved by paying special attention to them and taking targeted support measures.

Implications for nursing management: Nursing managers can help enhance the professional identity of nurses by organising nursing education activities, and pay more attention to psychological reward satisfaction to improve the subjective well-being of nurses.