Patterns of Professional Practice Participation: A Latent Profile Analysis of Specialty Nurses in China

Background: Specialty nurses play a vital role in advancing clinical care, education, research, and leadership within China's evolving healthcare system. However, their actual participation in these roles varies widely, and current assessments often overlook individual differences. Understanding distinct patterns of specialty nurses' professional practice participation is crucial for optimizing talent development and advancing the specialty nursing workforce. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a convenience sample of 7154 specialty nurses in Beijing between May and July 2024. Participants completed online questionnaires that gathered demographic data and assessed nursing practice across four dimensions (19 items total). Data analysis was performed using latent profile analysis, Chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Three latent profiles were identified: Developing Practice Profile (78.19%; characterized by growth potential across all dimensions), Clinician-Educator Profile (14.97%; marked by strengths in teaching and advanced clinical nursing), and the Clinician, Leadership, and Research Profile (6.84%; distinguished by high performance in advanced clinical practice, clinical management, and nursing research). Key predictors included educational background, professional title, duties, years of relevant work experience, and hospital level. Conclusion: Most specialty nurses have significant developmental potential. Nursing managers should provide personalized development for each specialty nurse, and the proposed "Stretch-Shape-Lead" approach may serve as a reference for optimizing the specialty nurse workforce structure. Future studies could further validate the findings from this resource-rich municipality in lower-tier cities, rural areas, or the broader national context to confirm their broader applicability.