The mediating role of transition shock between work readiness and workplace adaptability in newly graduated nurses: A cross-sectional study

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of transition shock (TS) in the relationship between work readiness and workplace adaptability among newly graduated nurses by constructing a structural equation model. In a cross-sectional survey, 208 newly graduated nurses were selected from 2 tertiary hospitals (Wuhan, China), and data were collected using demographic questionnaires, the work readiness scale for graduate nurses, nurses' workplace adaptability scale, and TS scale of newly graduated nurses. A structural equation model was employed to investigate the mediating role of TS in the relationship between work readiness and workplace adaptability. Statistical analyses were conducted using IBM SPSS software, version 21.0 and SPSS AMOS 24.0 (IBM Corporation, Armonk). The statistical tests conducted in this study were 2-tailed, and a P value of <.05 was considered significant. Significant associations were found among work readiness, TS, and workplace adaptability (P < .01). In the mediation models, TS partially mediated the relationships between work readiness and workplace adaptability (indirect effect: 0.169, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.081-0.300, P < .01; direct effect: 0.215, 95% CI: 0.051-0.376, P < .05; total effect: 0.384, 95% CI: 0.241-0.521, P < .01), and the mediating effect accounted for 44.01% (0.169/0.384 × 100%) of the total effect. This indirect effect could be considered moderate mediation. A significant relationship was found between work readiness, TS, and workplace adaptability among newly graduated nurses. Work readiness indirectly affected workplace adaptability through TS. These findings hold direct practical implications for clinical nursing management. The results demonstrated that TS was a critical mediator, suggesting that interventions designed to reduce it were likely to enhance new nurses' workplace adaptability. Therefore, nursing managers and educators should prioritize developing structured support programs, such as enhanced mentorship programs, peer mentoring, and resilience training workshops, to buffer its negative effects. Concurrently, efforts to improve work readiness during nursing education remained essential. Implementing such programs could improve workplace adaptability, thereby stabilizing the nursing team and fostering sustainable development.