The mediating role of perceived job stress in the relationship between self-compassion and organizational psychological capital in nurses

Aims: This study aimed to examine the mediating role of perceived job stress in the relationship between self-compassion and organizational psychological capital among nurses.Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study was conducted with 200 nurses working at a training and research hospital in Yalova, Turkiye, between August 15 and November 15, 2025. Data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Perceived Job Stress Scale, the Organizational Psychological Capital Scale, and the Self-Compassion Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, simple linear regression analysis, and mediation analysis using Hayes’ PROCESS Macro were performed.Results: The mean scores were 2.69±0.62 for perceived job stress, 108.35±18.73 for organizational psychological capital, and 80.92±13.89 for self-compassion. Perceived job stress was negatively correlated with organizational psychological capital and self-compassion, whereas self-compassion was positively correlated with organizational psychological capital. Regression analyses showed that self-compassion was positively associated with organizational psychological capital and negatively associated with perceived job stress. Mediation analysis indicated that perceived job stress had a statistically significant partial mediating role in the relationship between self-compassion and organizational psychological capital.Conclusion: Higher self-compassion was associated with lower perceived job stress and higher organizational psychological capital among nurses. These findings indicate that self-compassion and perceived job stress are important factors associated with nurses’ organizational psychological capital and may guide the development of supportive interventions aimed at strengthening nurses’ positive psychological resources in clinical settings.