The Influence of Work Values on Nursing Career Intentions: A Study of Multiple Mediating Factors

In light of the global shortage in the nursing workforce, understanding the factors associated with career intention among nursing students and registered nurses has become increasingly important for nursing education and workforce retention strategies. Grounded in the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study developed an extended TPB model incorporating work values and supplementary workplace psychological variables to examine the psychological mechanisms associated with nursing career intention across different professional stages. A cross-sectional survey design was employed, in which nursing students from Taiwan's technical and vocational institutions, as well as practicing registered nurses, were invited via institutional email channels to complete an online questionnaire. A total of 2137 valid responses were collected, including 1068 from nursing students and 1069 from registered nurses. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used for data analysis. The results indicated that partial mediation models demonstrated significantly better fit than full mediation models in both groups. Among nursing students, work values were directly associated with career intention and were also indirectly associated with career intention through attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Among registered nurses, work values demonstrated both direct and indirect relationships with career intention. The indirect relationship was primarily observed through perceived behavioral control, whereas burnout showed a statistically significant but relatively small indirect effect. Job satisfaction was positively associated with work values, although its indirect pathway to career intention was not statistically significant in the final partial mediation model. For both groups, perceived behavioral control demonstrated the strongest relationship with career intention. The findings suggest that work values may function not only as antecedents of TPB-related beliefs but also as broader motivational orientations associated with nursing career intention across both educational and workplace contexts. Strengthening value-oriented education and workplace support may contribute to more favorable professional motivation and psychological adaptation among nursing personnel.