Work

Free Will Belief and Nurses’ Job Performance: The Mediating Roles of Grit and Positive Affect

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: AIM: This study examined the relationship between belief in free will (BFW) and job performance among nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a particular focus on the mediating roles of grit and positive affect in this relationship. BACKGROUND: Job performance is a critical aspect of nursing management, influencing patient care, nurses' career trajectories, and organizational effectiveness, especially during pandemics like COVID-19. Understanding the individual-level psychosocial factors contributing to nurses' job performance is therefore essential. METHODS: This study used a cross-sectional, descriptive survey design and adhered to the STROBE reporting guidelines. From January 2021 to May 2022, 709 Chinese nurses in Chengdu and Kunming completed a web-based questionnaire survey that included validated measures of BFW, grit, positive affect, job performance, and Big Five personality traits. Descriptive statistics, bivariate correlations, and common method bias analyses were first conducted using IBM SPSS 25.0 software. Multiple mediation analyses were then conducted using the SPSS PROCESS macro. RESULTS: We found a moderate to large positive relationship between nurses' BFW and their job performance (r = 0.44, p < 0.001). Furthermore, this relationship was mediated by both grit and positive affect, with a significant serial mediation effect observed (p < 0.05 for all). Importantly, our findings remained significant after controlling for Big Five personality traits. CONCLUSION: Our study reveals a robust link between BFW and job performance in nurses and identifies grit and positive affect as key mediators of this relationship. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Nursing leaders can improve their nurses' job performance by cultivating BFW and developing a supportive and empowering work environment to increase nurses' grit and positive affect.

Source: International Nursing Review

DOI: 10.1111/inr.70136

Authors: Wei Liu, Song Wang

Institutions: Sichuan University, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

Language: English

Topic: Grit, Self-Efficacy, and Motivation

Subfield: Social Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Decent work and economic growth

Open Access status: bronze

Funders: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Key Research and Development Program of Sichuan Province