Examining the Mediating Role of Grit and Self-Efficacy in the Association Between Growth Mindset and Job Satisfaction in a Sample of Chinese Nurses

Abstract

Aims: This study aimed to explore the relationship between growth mindset and job satisfaction among Chinese nurses, and to examine the underlying mediating role of grit and self-efficacy in this relationship.

Background: As a long-standing research topic in nursing management, job satisfaction plays an essential role in patient care, healthcare organizations, and nurses’ career planning and development. Therefore, it is extremely important to explore the psychosocial factors that contribute to nurses’ job satisfaction.

Design: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was used.

Methods: Data were collected from 709 nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in southwest of China by using standard measures of growth mindset, grit, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction. Models 4 and 6 in the SPSS PROCESS 3.2 macroprogram were used to analyze the mediating effects.

Results: We found a positive relationship between Chinese nurses’ growth mindset and their job satisfaction; grit and self-efficacy played a mediating role in this relationship. Moreover, there was a significant chain mediating effect of grit and self-efficacy on the relationship between growth mindset and job satisfaction.

Conclusions: Our study highlights the complex interactions among growth mindset, grit, self-efficacy, and job satisfaction by revealing that grit and self-efficacy serve as parallel and sequential mediators in the link between growth mindset and job satisfaction among Chinese nurses.

Implications for Nursing Management: Nursing administrators can attempt to promote nurses’ growth mindset and enhance their grit and self-efficacy, thereby improving job satisfaction.

Reporting Method: Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) criteria were used to report the survey results.