Correlations between capability face pressure, job crafting, and burnout among orthopedic nurses

Objective This study aims to determine the current status of capability face pressure (CFP; psychological stress derived from the gap between one’s ability and external expectations), job crafting, and burnout among orthopedic nurses; reveal their correlations and the mediating effect of job crafting; and provide empirical support for developing targeted burnout intervention strategies in this field. Methods A total of 216 orthopedic nurses from Sichuan Province, China, were enrolled in this study. Participants completed the CFP Scale, the Job Crafting Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory–Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS). Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the associations among variables. The bootstrap method was used to test the significance of the mediating effect. Results The mean CFP score was 13.86 ± 2.62, and the mean job crafting score was 88.72 ± 14.95. The total burnout score was 58.64 ± 10.52. CFP differed significantly across sex, age, education, professional title, years of experience, income, and number of night shifts (all p < 0.05). Burnout was positively associated with CFP ( r = 0.658, p < 0.01) and negatively associated with job crafting ( r = −0.576, p < 0.01). Job crafting partially mediated the relationship between CFP and burnout, with an indirect effect accounting for 42.87% of the total effect. Conclusion CFP is significantly positively correlated with burnout, whereas job crafting is significantly negatively correlated with burnout among orthopedic nurses. Job crafting exerts a partial mediating effect between CFP and burnout, with the indirect effects constituting 42.87% of the total effect. Reducing CFP through targeted psychological support and capability recognition, enhancing job crafting via specialized training and collaborative support, and focusing on nurses aged 30–40 years, those with intermediate professional titles, and those working frequent night shifts may alleviate burnout among orthopedic nurses.