Study on the influence of psychological capital on job performance of medical staff in China on Qingdao nurses example

Abstract

Psychological capital (PsyCap) has been elevated to a construct of importance for evaluating work performance regardless of job category. Though interest in this area is on the increase, few studies have looked at the effect of PsyCab on the performance of nurses in the Chinese context. The purpose of this research is to assess the nature of the relationship between PsyCap and the job performance of nurses in Qingdao, China, as well as determine the critical pideps of PsyCap necessary for obtaining the ideal performance outcomes among the nurses. Methods. A cross-sectional survey was directly administered to 478 nurses from six Qingdao hospitals. The 24-item Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ) was utilized to measure PsyCap, while job performance was measured using the 25-item Job Performance Scale (JPS). For the purposes of testing the study hypotheses, the study employed descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis. Results. Positive relationship was found between PsyCap and overall civilian job performance (score $r=0.56$ $p<0.01$). Hardiness $(\beta=0.29$, $p<0.001$, self-regulation $(\beta=0.25$, $p<0.001$) and self-efficacy ( $(\beta=0.19,$ $p<0.01$ contributed significantly to the performance of the nurses, while optimism did not have any significant contribution. 37% of the variation in job performance was accounted for by the model. Discussion. The evidence provided suggests that mental resources are crucial for nurses' job performance in China. Training programs designed to increase hope, resilience and self-efficacy will lead to performance improvement. Future studies will also need to be longitudinal so as to show whether there is causation and to test for the effects of the PsyCap interventions.