Effects of Self-Praise Diary Writing on Turnover Intention, Job Stress, and Self-Esteem among New Nurses: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Purpose: New nurses often experience job stress, reduced self-esteem, and increased turnover intention during their transition to clinical practice. This study examined the effects of self-praise diary writing on these outcomes.Methods: This randomized controlled study with a pretest–posttest design included 62 new nurses (under one year of clinical experience) who completed preceptor training. Participants were randomly assigned either to keep a daily self-praise diary for three weeks or to receive no intervention. Data were analyzed with paired and independent t-tests using SPSS version 22.0. Because baseline job stress differed between the groups, an analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was additionally performed.Results: The between-group difference in the change scores for turnover intention was not statistically significant (t=-1.68, p=.098). However, significant between-group differences were found in the change scores for job stress (t=-4.58, p<.001) and self-esteem (t=2.33, p=.023). After adjustment for baseline job stress, the group effect on job stress remained significant (F=14.53, p<.001, partial η²=.198).Conclusion: Self-praise diary writing was associated with lower job stress and higher self-esteem immediately after the intervention, but not with turnover intention. Further studies are needed.