Mediating role of positive psychological capital in relationship between professional identity and learning burnout in higher vocational nursing students

Objective To investigate the mediating role of positive psychological capital on the relationship between professional identity and learning burnout in higher vocational nursing students. Methods Using professional identity questionnaires, positive psychological capital questionnaires and college students' learning burnout scales to survey 627 nursing students in higher vocational colleges in a certain area. Results There was no significant difference in gender of nursing students’ professional identity(t=0.432, P>0.05). But the behavioral factors in female students were significantly higher than those in male students ((3.36±0.69) vs (3.20±0.76), t=-2.411, P<0.05). And in different grade the behavioral factor had a significant difference too(F=9.490, P<0.01). Obviously, there was negative correlation between positive psychological capital and learning burnout (r=-0.533, P<0.01), and positive correlation between professional identity and active psychological capital in vocational nursing students (r=0.474, P<0.01), and negative correlation with learning burnout (r=-0.540, P<0.01). Positive psychological capital plays partially mediating role in professional identity and learning burnout(β=-0.17, ab/c=0.46, 95%CI=-0.23~-0.13). Conclusion Positive psychological capital and professional identity have important predictive effects on learning burnout in higher vocational nursing students.Positive psychological capital plays partially mediating role in professional identity and learning burnout. Key words: Positive psychological capital; Professional identity; Learning burnout; Mediating role