Relationship between training load and self-directed learning competence among nurses: A cross-sectional study based...

With the rapid development of the nursing profession, nurses' self-directed learning competence (SDLC) has become an important guarantee for the improvement of their professional competence. Currently, the number of various training tasks is increasing, and so is the training load (TL).

Based on the conservation of resources theory, this study aimed to examine the mediating role of work-life balance (WLB) in the relationship between TL and SDLC among nurses. In addition, we employed network analysis to identify the multidimensional mechanisms underlying the mediation effects, providing evidence to optimize training management and enhance learning support strategies.

From January to March 2025, a total of 519 clinical nurses were recruited using convenience sampling from three tertiary general hospitals in Anhui Province, China. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire consisting of four instruments: the General Information Questionnaire, the Rating Scale of Self-Directed Learning Competence for Nurses (RSDL-CN), the Clinical Nurse Training Load Scale (CNTLS), and the Work-Life Balance Scale (WLBS). Bootstrap-based mediation analysis and network analysis were performed to examine the mediating effects and explore the underlying multidimensional mechanisms.

Mediation analysis showed that WLB partially mediated the relationship between TL and SDLC, with a significant indirect effect accounting for 74.07% of the total effect (B = -10.373, 95%CI: -12.136 ∼ -8.626). Network analysis further identified seven indirect paths composed of three nodes among TL, WLB, and SDLC. Among the dimensions of WLB, time balance (W1) and psychological engagement balance (W3) emerged as the most highly connected intermediary nodes, whereas overall satisfaction balance (W2), despite being involved in fewer paths, ranked first in betweenness centrality.

TL indirectly affects SDLC through WLB, with different dimensions of WLB demonstrating distinct roles in the mediation process. Interventions aimed at improving nurses' learning competence should not focus solely on training content and intensity but also emphasize the overall coordination between work and life, which provides a theoretical and empirical basis for the optimization of the training system and the formulation of personalized support strategies.