The impact of transition shock on moral sensitivity among nursing interns and its mechanism: a cross-sectional study

Nursing interns experience transition shock when shifting from theory to practice. This shock continuously depletes their psychological resources, leading to self-doubt. Consequently, their attention to patients' ethical situations is diverted, and their moral sensitivity decreases. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the underlying mechanisms and propose strategies to mitigate the impact of transition shock on moral sensitivity.

An online questionnaire survey was conducted among participants from June to December 2024. The survey included questions about general demographics, the Transition Shock Scale for Undergraduate Nursing Students, the Self-Compassion Scale, the Chinese Revised Version of the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire, and the Chinese Calling Scale. Spearman correlation analysis was used to clarify the correlations among variables. Models 4 and 7 in the PROCESS v4.2 macro (a plug-in for SPSS 27) were used to verify the mediating and moderating effects, respectively. RStudio was used to plot the simple slope graph.

Among nursing interns, transition shock was a key predictor of moral sensitivity, with a significant negative correlation (r = -0.320, p < 0.01). Self-compassion partially mediated the relationship between transition shock and moral sensitivity, accounting for 42.59% of the total effect. Additionally, calling attenuated the negative predictive effect of transition shock on self-compassion. As calling increased, the mediating effect of self-compassion gradually decreased.

Educational institutions and internship hospitals should strengthen the cultivation of self-compassion and calling among nursing interns. This can alleviate transition shock, promote the development of moral sensitivity, and lay the foundation for them to grow into qualified, empathetic, and ethically literate nurses.