Proactive Personality and Caring Behavior of Clinical Nurses: A Moderated Mediation Model of Emotional Intelligence and Disgust Sensitivity

The aims of the research were to investigate the mediating effect of emotional intelligence and the moderating effect of disgust sensitivity on the relationship between proactive personality and caring behavior among clinical nurses. A cross-sectional design while adhering to STROBE guidelines was used for this study. Three hundred ninety-three purposely selected nurses from three tertiary general hospitals completed an online survey. Measures included proactive personality, emotional intelligence, disgust sensitivity, and caring behavior. The findings showed that proactive personality positively predicted nurses' caring behavior, and that emotional intelligence played a mediating role in the relationship between proactive personality and caring behavior. Disgust sensitivity indirectly and negatively moderated the impact of proactive personality on nurses' caring behavior mainly in the second half of this moderated relationship. The findings underscore that the nursing managers may consider incorporating emotional intelligence topic in practical nursing skills training and improving nurses' ability to control their disgust sensitivity can improve their professional behavior, thus to provide patients with high-quality nursing services.