Stress/Resource Complex, Sense of Coherence and Professional Identity Among Nursing Students: A Latent Profile and Mediation Analysis

Abstract

Purpose

Sense of coherence is significant to mental health and professional development in nursing students. However, the association among stress/resource complex, sense of coherence, and professional identity is less explored in nursing students. This study was designed to identify latent subtypes of stress/resource complex and to evaluate the mediating role of sense of coherence between stress/resource complex types and professional identity in nursing students.

Participants and Methods

A total of 595 nursing students were recruited from Be Resilient to Nursing Career (BRNC) between October and December 2021 and administered with 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, General Self-efficacy Scale, 10-item Chinese Perceived Stress Scale, 13-item Sense of Coherence Scale, and Professional Identity Questionnaire for Undergraduate Students. Latent profile analysis and mediation analysis were performed.

Results

Three latent subtypes of stress/resource complex were identified: Flexibility (14.8%), Ordinary (44.2%), and Maladjustment (41.0%). Nursing students with role model were prone to Ordinary (OR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.03–2.13, p = 0.035) and Flexibility (OR = 1.92, 95% CI 1.17–3.16, p = 0.011). The association between stress/resource complex types and professional identity was mediated by sense of coherence (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

There exists heterogeneity in nursing students’ stress/resource complex. The association between stress/resource complex subtypes and professional identity was mediated by sense of coherence.

Keywords:

• latent profile analysis
• mediation analysis
• nursing students
• professional identity
• stress/resource complex
• sense of coherence

Data Sharing Statement

The datasets generated during and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank nurse directors from participating universities for supporting data collection and all the participants for completing surveys.

Disclosure

The authors declare no conflicts of interest in this work.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Humanity and Social Science Foundation of Guangzhou (No.2021GZGJ57) and Humanity and Social Science Foundation of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine (No.2020SKXK01).