Organizational career management and nurse career growth: a serial multiple mediation model of basic psychological needs and individual career management

BackgroundCareer management responsibilities are shifting from employers to employees in the new career era. However, the complex relationship between organizational career management and individual career management and their joint effects on career growth remain unclear. This study aims to investigate the mediating role of basic psychological needs and individual career management in the relationship between organizational career management and career growth among nurses.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted. A total of 1866 nurses were recruited from 8 tertiary hospitals and 7 secondary hospitals in Sichuan Province, China, between January 6 and 20, 2021. The Organizational Career Management Questionnaire, Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale, Individual Career Management Questionnaire, and Career Growth Scale for Nurses were used to collect data. Structural equation modeling with the bootstrapping method was used to examine the hypothesized model.ResultsSerial multiple mediation analysis revealed that the relationship between organizational career management and career growth was mediated by basic psychological needs (standardized estimate = 0.245, 95% CI [0.228, 0.305]) and individual career management (standardized estimate = 0.238, 95% CI [0.196, 0.331]). The total mediation effect accounted for 68.5% of the pathway from organizational career management to career growth.ConclusionIn addition to organizational career management, basic psychological needs and individual career management deserve more attention to foster nurses' career growth.