Self-transcendence and professional identity among undergraduate nursing students: a moderated mediation model of learning engagement and career self-efficacy

The professional identity is a fundamental factor influencing the career choices and future growth of undergraduate nursing students. The degree of professional identity is directly related to job stability and the operational effectiveness of healthcare systems. The total professional identity of undergraduate nursing students in China is currently moderate, indicating potential for enhancement. Current research has tentatively established a correlation between self-transcendence and professional identity, while learning engagement and career self-efficacy are also associated with both. Current research has not yet clarified the mechanism of self-transcendence on the professional identity of undergraduate nursing students. Especially, the mediating role of learning engagement and the moderating role of career self-efficacy remain unclear. The study aimed to explore the influence of self-transcendence on the formation of professional identity in undergraduate nursing students, and identified the mediating function of learning engagement and the moderating effect of career self-efficacy. Meanwhile, the study also tried to reveal the fundamental mechanisms of the interaction among these variables. A cross-sectional design was employed. The research involved 447 full-time undergraduate nursing students recruited from Wuhan, the capital of Hubei Province, China. The instruments employed in this research comprised the Self-Transcendence Scale (STS), the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-S), the Career Self-Efficacy Scale (CSES), and the Professional Identity for Nursing Students Scale (PISNS). The SPSS PROCESS macro was utilized to evaluate the proposed mediation and moderated mediation effects. Self-transcendence exhibited a substantial positive influence on the development of professional identity among undergraduate nursing students. Meanwhile, the association between self-transcendence and professional identity was partially elucidated through the mediating role of learning engagement among undergraduate nursing students. Furthermore, career self-efficacy moderated the initial segment of the mediation model. The influence of self-transcendence on learning engagement diminished as career self-efficacy increased. The findings offer insights into the intrinsic relationship between self-transcendence and professional identity in undergraduate nursing students. The beneficial impact of self-transcendence on professional identity was mediated by learning engagement, with elevated career self-efficacy diminishing this indirect relationship.