Innovative behaviour and career success: Mediating roles of self-efficacy and colleague solidarity of nurses

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of the study is to explore the relationships amongst innovative behaviour, self-efficacy, colleague solidarity of nurses and career success of nurses in Mainland China. METHOD: This study used the cross-sectional investigation method and nurses were recruited from eight tertiary hospitals and four secondary hospitals in Tianjin, China. A convenience sample of 848 nurses was included in this survey. Structural equation model analysis was performed as well. RESULTS: Results revealed that the nurses' career success score was at the medium degree, whilst innovative behaviour and self-efficacy were in the medium–high level and had high level of colleague solidarity. The four variables include innovative behaviour, self-efficacy, colleague solidarity of nurses and career success; each dimension showed positive correlation (r = 0.145 to 0.923, P < 0.05). Independent sample T-test showed no significant differences between the two types of hospitals in the main variables (P > 0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that innovative behaviour, self-efficacy and academic solidarity entered the career success regression equation (β = 0.091 to 0.560, P < 0.05), thereby possibly explaining 52.0% of the total variation. Hierarchical regression analysis and path analysis model showed that self-efficacy and colleague solidarity of nurses played mediating roles between innovative behaviour and career success (β = 0.132 to 0.221, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The level of career success of nurses remains to be improved. Additionally, high innovative behaviour, self-efficacy and colleague solidarity of nurses can improve the career success of Chinese nurses.