Association between perceived time pressure and knowledge-sharing behavior among tertiary-hospital nurses in China: a cross-sectional study

Knowledge sharing is important for healthcare quality, professional learning, and clinical risk reduction. However, little is known about whether different forms of perceived time pressure are associated with nurses’ knowledge-sharing behavior. This study examined the associations of challenge and hindrance time pressure with knowledge-sharing behavior among clinical nurses working in tertiary hospitals in Jiangsu Province, China. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from March to May 2025 using WeChat-based non-probability snowball sampling. Data were collected on clinical nurses’ sociodemographic and work-related characteristics, as well as their perceived time pressure and knowledge-sharing behavior. Of the 393 valid respondents, 372 nurses working in tertiary hospitals were included in the primary analysis because of the small numbers of participants from other hospital levels. Hierarchical ordinary least squares regression models with heteroskedasticity-robust standard errors were used. Model 1 adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, and Model 2 additionally adjusted for work-related characteristics. Challenge and hindrance time pressure showed opposite associations with knowledge-sharing behavior. In the fully adjusted model, challenge time pressure was positively associated with knowledge-sharing behavior (β = 0.498, 95% CI: 0.326 to 0.669; p < 0.001), whereas hindrance time pressure was negatively associated with knowledge-sharing behavior (β = −0.142, 95% CI: −0.231 to − 0.052; p = 0.002). Nurses with intermediate or associate senior and above professional titles reported higher knowledge-sharing behavior than those with junior titles or no professional title. Nurses working in non-general hospitals also reported higher knowledge-sharing behavior than those working in general hospitals. The findings highlight the relevance of distinguishing challenge and hindrance time pressure when examining knowledge-sharing behavior among tertiary-hospital nurses. Further longitudinal and intervention studies are needed to assess the practical implications of these associations.