This descriptive correlational study examined the relationships between the nursing work environment, empathy competence, clinical performance self-efficacy, and colleague solidarity among nurses working in general hospitals, and identified factors in...
This descriptive correlational study examined the relationships between the nursing work environment, empathy competence, clinical performance self-efficacy, and colleague solidarity among nurses working in general hospitals, and identified factors influencing colleague solidarity. The participants were 205 nurses with at least one year of clinical experience from three general hospitals in K Province. Data were collected between April 15 and May 15, 2025, using structured self-report questionnaires. The data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 25.0 (IBM Corp.), employing descriptive statistics, independent t-tests, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Scheffe’s post hoc tests, Pearson’s correlation coefficients, and multiple linear regression analysis.
The results are as follows.
1. The mean item score for the nursing work environment was 2.86 ± 0.40 on a 4-point scale. The mean item scores for empathy competence, clinical performance self-efficacy, and colleague solidarity were 3.93 ± 0.41, 3.93 ± 0.42, and 3.88 ± 0.52, respectively, on a 5-point scale.
2. Colleague solidarity differed significantly according to gender (t=−2.03, p=.043), position (t=−2.09, p=.038), and experience with teamwork education (t=4.21, p<.001).
3. Colleague solidarity was positively correlated with the nursing work environment (r=.60, p<.001), empathy competence (r=.51, p<.001), and clinical practice self-efficacy (r=.46, p<.001). Clinical practice self-efficacy was positively correlated with empathy competence (r=.65, p<.001) and the nursing work environment (r=.24, p=.001). Empathy competence was also positively correlated with the nursing work environment (r=.29, p<.001).
4. Factors influencing colleague solidarity were the nursing work environment (β=.46, p<.001), empathy competence (β=.24, p<.001), and clinical practice self-efficacy (β=.17, p=.010). These variables explained 49.3% of the variance in colleague solidarity (F=34.04, p<.001).
The findings indicate that a supportive nursing work environment, higher empathy competence, and greater clinical practice self-efficacy are associated with stronger colleague solidarity among nurses in general hospitals. Organizational efforts to improve the nursing work environment, along with strategies to enhance empathy competence and clinical practice self-efficacy, may contribute to strengthening solidarity among nursing colleagues. Enhanced colleague solidarity may provide a basis for effective nursing workforce management.