Latent profiles of work readiness and their associated factors among nursing interns: a cross-sectional study

Work readiness refers to the comprehensive competencies required for individuals to enter and adapt to the workforce. It is relevant to the transition from nursing student to clinical nurse. However, existing research has paid limited attention to heterogeneity in nursing interns' work readiness, and few studies have examined associated factors from the perspective of Social Cognitive Career Theory. This study aimed to identify latent profiles of work readiness among nursing interns and examine the associations of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) literacy and the clinical learning environment with profile membership.

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 712 final-year nursing interns from three nursing schools in Anhui Province, China, between November 2025 and June 2026. Participants completed the Nursing Practice Readiness Scale, Clinical Learning Environment Questionnaire, and Generative Artificial Intelligence Literacy Scale. Latent Profile Analysis was used to identify distinct work readiness profiles, and multinomial logistic regression was performed to examine factors associated with profile membership.

Three latent profiles of work readiness were identified: low work readiness (n = 415, 58.3%), moderate work readiness (n = 227, 31.9%), and high work readiness (n = 70, 9.8%). The overall multinomial logistic regression model(χ ² = 467.253, P < 0.001) showed that the clinical learning environment, GenAI literacy, academic performance, clinical learning outcomes, and sense of professional belonging were significantly associated with work readiness profile membership (all P < 0.05).

Three distinct work readiness profiles were identified among nursing interns. Clinical learning environment, GenAI literacy, academic performance, clinical learning outcomes, and sense of professional belonging were associated with profile membership. These findings highlight the heterogeneity of nursing interns' work readiness and may inform the development of individualized educational support strategies.