Nurses’ Career Growth and Job Embeddedness: A Moderated Mediation Model of Basic Psychological Needs and Perceived Organizational Support

AIM: To investigate the mediating effects of basic psychological needs and the moderated mediating effect of perceived organizational support on the relationship between career growth and job embeddedness among nurses. BACKGROUND: Job embeddedness is an important predictor of nurse retention. However, little is known about the underlying mechanism of when and why career growth affects nurses' job embeddedness. METHODS: This cross-sectional online survey enrolled 858 nurses who worked at hospitals from 12 hospitals across 6 cities in China. Participants completed an online questionnaire that included the Nurse Career Growth Scale, Basic Needs Satisfaction in General Scale, Chinese version of the Survey of Perceived Organizational Support, and Job Embeddedness Scale. Data were analyzed using Hayes's PROCESS macro. The Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines were used. RESULTS: Career growth was positively associated with job embeddedness, and this positive relationship was mediated by basic psychological needs. The indirect effect of career growth on job embeddedness via basic psychological needs was stronger among nurses with higher perceived organizational support than among nurses with lower perceived organizational support. DISCUSSION: Career growth is a valuable factor for predicting nurses' job embeddedness. Basic psychological needs and perceived organizational support further explain how career growth facilitates job embeddedness. CONCLUSION: The indirect effect of career growth on job embeddedness via basic psychological needs was strengthened as the level of perceived organizational support increased. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Policymakers and nurse managers should put effort into promoting nurses' career growth, satisfying their basic psychological needs, and establishing supportive work conditions to embed nurses in their present jobs.