Spiritual climate and thriving at work among OR nurses: a cross-sectional study of the mediating role of organizational commitment and the moderating role of psychological detachment

Background Existing research indicates that thriving at work enhances job adaptability and performance. However, studies on nurses’ organizational behavior often adopt a deficit-oriented perspective. Through a positive psychology lens, this study examined the mediating and moderating processes linking spiritual climate to thriving at work among nurses, aiming to support team stability and the long-term development of the nursing profession. Aims To investigate the pathway underlying the relationships among spiritual climate, organizational commitment, psychological detachment and thriving at work in OR nurses. Methods A sample of 383 OR nurses were investigated by the demographic questionnaire, Spiritual Climate Scale, Organizational Commitment Scale, Psychological Detachment Scale and the Thriving at Work Scale. Data were analyzed using SPSS, AMOS and JASP. Results Pearson correlation analysis showed that thriving at work was positively correlated with spiritual climate, organizational commitment and psychological detachment. In the mediation model, spiritual climate ( β = 0.552) and organizational commitment ( β = 0.303) both had direct positive effects on thriving at work, and spiritual climate was indirectly related to thriving at work through organizational commitment ( β = 0.151), accounting for 21.5% of the total effect. Psychological detachment moderated the relationship between organizational commitment and thriving at work ( β = −0.105, P < 0.001), and the index of moderated mediation was − 0.052 (95% CI [− 0.079, − 0.030]). The conditional indirect effect of spiritual climate on thriving at work through organizational commitment declined from 0.124 at low psychological detachment to 0.020 at high psychological detachment, remaining significant at low and mean levels but not at high levels. Conclusions Significant positive correlations were identified among OR nurses’ spiritual climate, organizational commitment, psychological detachment, and thriving. Organizational commitment partially mediated the link between spiritual climate and thriving, with psychological detachment further moderating this mediation. Implications for nursing and nursing policy These findings offer insights for nurse leaders and advocates to support thriving by acknowledging nurses’ spiritual dimensions and fostering organizational commitment, thereby supporting professional role enhancement and team stability. Clinical trial number Not applicable.