Purpose
This study was performed to identify factors associated with nursing performance, classify potential profiles of nursing performance-related variables, and explain their effects on nursing performance.
Methods
The study involved 245 nurses at a University Hospital in South Korea from September 1 to 14, 2021. The participants were nurses in a ward who operated within a team and had at least 6 months of clinical experience. Structured questionnaires were used to measure variables, and data were collected online using Google Forms. Using latent profile analysis, the participants were classified into four human resource and job attitude profiles. Linear regression was used to identify relevant factors, and one-way analysis of variance was employed to examine the differences in nursing performance between the four profiles.
Results
Shared leadership (β=.30, p<.001) was most strongly associated with nursing performance, followed by authentic leadership (β=.16, p=.009), and education level (β=.15, p=.006). Significant differences in nursing performance (F=22.48, p<.001) were observed across profiles, with the groups deemed "excellent" and "best" scoring higher in nursing performance and authentic leadership compared to the "fair" and "worst" groups. However, no significant difference in education level was found across the latent profiles (p=.212).
Conclusion
This research examined the impact on nursing performance through variable-centered analysis and a person-centered approach. Accordingly, this study provides valuable insights for interpreting the results of linear regression analysis, highlighting the need to consider individual heterogeneity.