Self-Directed Learning Ability and Its Associated Factors Among Clinical Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: To evaluate self-directed learning ability among clinical nurses within the workplace and identify key associated individual and organizational determinants. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional descriptive study was completed using a convenience sample of 1057 clinical nurses across 31 Chinese provinces. Data collection included demographics, self-directed learning ability, general self-efficacy, and organizational climate. Descriptive statistics, parametric tests, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression were used for analysis. Results: The mean self-directed learning score of clinical nurses was 3.90±0.65, with self-motivation belief scoring highest (mean 4.02±0.64) and self-evaluation lowest (mean 3.74±0.75). Career planning, job enthusiasm, general self-efficacy, and organizational climate significantly predicted self-directed learning ability, explaining 63.7% of its variance. Conclusions: Clinical nurses demonstrated a moderate ability in self-directed learning, which was associated with both individual motivation and workplace organizational conditions. These findings suggested that nurse leaders can strengthen self-directed learning by supporting clinical nurses’ career development, enhancing nurses’ self-efficacy and work enthusiasm, and fostering a positive organizational climate. Workplace strategies that promote self-directed learning might contribute to a more engaged, adaptive nursing workforce and support ongoing efforts to improve professional nursing practice, quality of care, patient experience, and patient safety.