Mechanisms of the influence of proactive personality on nurses' sense of social responsibility: A structural equation modelling study

Aim: To explore the mechanism of proactive personality influence on nurses' sense of social responsibility through a serial multiple mediation model of volunteering motivation and self-efficacy. Design: Further analysis of a cross-sectional and survey-based study. Methods: In June 2023, a study was conducted with 722 Chinese nurses from four hospitals. Data were collected using the Proactive Personality Scale, the Self-Efficacy Scale, the Motivation to Volunteer Scale and the Nurses' Sense of Social Responsibility Scale. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the relationship between nurses' sense of social responsibility and its correlative factors. Results: Structural equation modelling showed a good model fit. Proactive personality, self-efficacy and motivation to volunteer can directly influence nurses' sense of social responsibility (beta =.12, beta =.04, beta =.50, p <.05). According to the test of chained mediation effects, proactive personality was significant through a single mediation path of self-efficacy (Z = 2.33, p <.05) and motivation to volunteer (Z = 7.32, p <.05) and through successive mediation paths of both variables (Z = 3.33, p <.05). Conclusion: A proactive personality can motivate nurses' social responsibility. Therefore, prompting nurses to be more proactive can effectively enhance nurses' sense of social responsibility. Reporting Method: This study was reported following the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist for cross-sectional studies. Patient or Public Contribution: This study explored the mechanisms influencing nurses' sense of social responsibility at the end of the epidemic. The results may inform the maintenance of high levels of long-term effects of nurses' social responsibility and shed light on building a standing workforce for public health emergencies.