Mediating effect of workplace violence on the relationship between empathy and professional identity among nursing students

BACKGROUND: Studies have reported that empathy had a positive effect on professional identity (PI) in nursing students. However, little was known about the mechanism underlying this relationship between empathy and professional identity in nursing students. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze in depth the mediating effect of workplace violence (WVP) between empathy and professional identity in nursing students. METHODS: A total of 405 nursing students participated and were investigated using the Chinese version of the Jefferson Scale of Empathy-Health Professional (JSE-HP), the scale of professional identity about nursing students, and the workplace violence Incident Survey in this study. Hierarchical regression was used to analyze the mediating effect of workplace violence on the relationship between empathy and professional identity among nursing students. RESULTS: The score of nursing students' professional identity was 103.69 ± 17.79. Workplace violence had a significant negative correlation with empathy (r = −0.449, P < 0.001) and professional identity (r = −0.330, P < 0.001). Workplace violence accounted for 14.59% of the total mediating effect on the relationship between empathy and professional identity for nursing students. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the level of professional identity of nursing students was low. Workplace violence had a partially significantly mediating effect on the relationship between empathy and professional identity. Maybe, it was suggested that nursing students' professional identity might be improved and driven by a decrease in workplace violence. Targeted interventions at reducing nursing students' workplace violence should be developed and implemented. In addition, nursing managers and educators should be aware of the importance of empathy and improve professional identity in nursing students.