The impact of creative anxiety on professional identity among master’s nursing students: a chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and achievement motivation

Abstract Objective To determine whether psychological resilience and achievement motivation are significant mediators in the relationship between creative anxiety and professional identity among master’s nursing students. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted with 366 master’s nursing student...

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Main Authors: Yao Ding, Xiaolan Guo, Ruifeng Wang, Lu Xu, Shajie Hou, Fengjiao Chang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-07-01
Series:BMC Nursing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03535-6
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author Yao Ding
Xiaolan Guo
Ruifeng Wang
Lu Xu
Shajie Hou
Fengjiao Chang
author_facet Yao Ding
Xiaolan Guo
Ruifeng Wang
Lu Xu
Shajie Hou
Fengjiao Chang
author_sort Yao Ding
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Objective To determine whether psychological resilience and achievement motivation are significant mediators in the relationship between creative anxiety and professional identity among master’s nursing students. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted with 366 master’s nursing students from four universities in Shaanxi Province. The survey used the General Information Questionnaire, Creative Anxiety Scale, Professional Identity Scale, Psychological Resilience Scale, and Achievement Motivation Scale. Pearson’s r was used to examine the relationships among the variables, and a structural equation model (SEM) was employed to clarify the mediating effects. Results In this study, the mean scores of creative anxiety, professional identity, psychological resilience, and achievement motivation among 366 master’s nursing students were (12.92 ± 3.58), (48.47 ± 12.76), (28.32 ± 7.71), and (6.23 ± 1.83), respectively. Creative anxiety showed significant negative correlations with professional identity (r = − 0.668, P < 0.001), psychological resilience (r = − 0.537, P < 0.001), and achievement motivation (r = − 0.503, P < 0.001). Conversely, professional identity demonstrated positive correlations with both psychological resilience (r = 0.713, P < 0.001) and achievement motivation (r = 0.663, P < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that the total effect of creative anxiety on professional identity (β = −0.458) comprised a direct effect (β = −0.124) and an indirect effect mediated through psychological resilience and achievement motivation (β = −0.334). A significant serial mediation effect was observed (β = −0.092), with psychological resilience and achievement motivation serving as sequential mediators between creative anxiety and professional identity. This serial mediation accounted for 8.97% of the total effect, with a 95% confidence interval of (− 0.211 ~ − 0.009). Conclusion There is a multiple mediation effect among creative anxiety, professional identity, psychological resilience, and achievement motivation among master’s nursing students. Creative anxiety is closely related to professional identity. Therefore, it is recommended that university administrators focus on enhancing the psychological resilience and achievement motivation of master’s nursing students to reduce their creative anxiety and improve their professional identity. Clinical trial number Not applicable.
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spelling doaj-art-891657e0a5d845a2ade0cd1cdb8f2b132025-08-20T03:46:08ZengBMCBMC Nursing1472-69552025-07-0124111110.1186/s12912-025-03535-6The impact of creative anxiety on professional identity among master’s nursing students: a chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and achievement motivationYao Ding0Xiaolan Guo1Ruifeng Wang2Lu Xu3Shajie Hou4Fengjiao Chang5School of Nursing, Shaanxi University of Chinese MedicineSchool of Nursing, Shaanxi University of Chinese MedicineSchool of Nursing, Shaanxi University of Chinese MedicineSchool of Nursing, Shaanxi University of Chinese MedicineDepartment of Nursing, The Affiliated Hospital of Xizang Minzu UniversitySchool of Nursing, Shaanxi University of Chinese MedicineAbstract Objective To determine whether psychological resilience and achievement motivation are significant mediators in the relationship between creative anxiety and professional identity among master’s nursing students. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted with 366 master’s nursing students from four universities in Shaanxi Province. The survey used the General Information Questionnaire, Creative Anxiety Scale, Professional Identity Scale, Psychological Resilience Scale, and Achievement Motivation Scale. Pearson’s r was used to examine the relationships among the variables, and a structural equation model (SEM) was employed to clarify the mediating effects. Results In this study, the mean scores of creative anxiety, professional identity, psychological resilience, and achievement motivation among 366 master’s nursing students were (12.92 ± 3.58), (48.47 ± 12.76), (28.32 ± 7.71), and (6.23 ± 1.83), respectively. Creative anxiety showed significant negative correlations with professional identity (r = − 0.668, P < 0.001), psychological resilience (r = − 0.537, P < 0.001), and achievement motivation (r = − 0.503, P < 0.001). Conversely, professional identity demonstrated positive correlations with both psychological resilience (r = 0.713, P < 0.001) and achievement motivation (r = 0.663, P < 0.001). Mediation analysis revealed that the total effect of creative anxiety on professional identity (β = −0.458) comprised a direct effect (β = −0.124) and an indirect effect mediated through psychological resilience and achievement motivation (β = −0.334). A significant serial mediation effect was observed (β = −0.092), with psychological resilience and achievement motivation serving as sequential mediators between creative anxiety and professional identity. This serial mediation accounted for 8.97% of the total effect, with a 95% confidence interval of (− 0.211 ~ − 0.009). Conclusion There is a multiple mediation effect among creative anxiety, professional identity, psychological resilience, and achievement motivation among master’s nursing students. Creative anxiety is closely related to professional identity. Therefore, it is recommended that university administrators focus on enhancing the psychological resilience and achievement motivation of master’s nursing students to reduce their creative anxiety and improve their professional identity. Clinical trial number Not applicable.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03535-6Master's nursing studentsCreative anxietyProfessional identityPsychological resilienceAchievement motivationChain mediation effect
spellingShingle Yao Ding
Xiaolan Guo
Ruifeng Wang
Lu Xu
Shajie Hou
Fengjiao Chang
The impact of creative anxiety on professional identity among master’s nursing students: a chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and achievement motivation
BMC Nursing
Master's nursing students
Creative anxiety
Professional identity
Psychological resilience
Achievement motivation
Chain mediation effect
title The impact of creative anxiety on professional identity among master’s nursing students: a chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and achievement motivation
title_full The impact of creative anxiety on professional identity among master’s nursing students: a chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and achievement motivation
title_fullStr The impact of creative anxiety on professional identity among master’s nursing students: a chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and achievement motivation
title_full_unstemmed The impact of creative anxiety on professional identity among master’s nursing students: a chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and achievement motivation
title_short The impact of creative anxiety on professional identity among master’s nursing students: a chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and achievement motivation
title_sort impact of creative anxiety on professional identity among master s nursing students a chain mediation effect of psychological resilience and achievement motivation
topic Master's nursing students
Creative anxiety
Professional identity
Psychological resilience
Achievement motivation
Chain mediation effect
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-025-03535-6
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