The impact of clinical learning environment on nursing interns' professional identity: The mediating role of belongingness

BACKGROUND: According to social identity theory, nursing interns' professional identity is shaped by their belongingness, and the clinical learning environment significantly contributes to its development. However, the specific relationship among the clinical learning environment, belongingness, and professional identity remains unclear. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore the mediating role of belongingness in the relationship between the clinical learning environment and professional identity. Additionally, it provides a reference for nursing managers to refine and improve nursing interns' educational strategies. METHODS: A total of 304 nursing interns from three hospitals in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, were recruited between January and February 2025 through convenience sampling. Data were collected using a demographic and sociological questionnaire, the Clinical Learning Environment Scale, the Belongingness Scale, and the Professional Identity Scale. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) Statistics (version 27.0) with independent-samples t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, and Pearson correlations. The mediating effect of belongingness was analyzed using the SPSS Process macro (Model 4). RESULTS: The clinical learning environment was positively correlated with belongingness (r = 0.590, P < 0.001) and with professional identity (r = 0.537, P < 0.001). Additionally, the belongingness exhibited a positive correlation with professional identity (r = 0.779, P < 0.001). Bootstrap analysis confirmed that belongingness mediated the relationship between the clinical learning environment and professional identity among nursing interns (95 % CI = 0.177, 0.283), with an indirect effect value of 0.228 and a mediating effect accounting for 79.72 %. CONCLUSION: The clinical learning environment significantly impacts the nursing interns' professional identity. The belongingness mediates the relationship between the clinical learning environment and professional identity. Therefore, nursing administrators and educators should prioritize optimizing the clinical learning environment, providing nursing interns with high-quality learning and teaching resources, and fostering a positive work atmosphere to effectively strengthen their belongingness and professional identity.