Abstract: Objective To understand the current status of emotional intelligence,career decision-making self-efficacy,and future work self-salience among undergraduate nursing students,and to analyze the relationship between the three. Methods From October to December 2022,a convenience sampling method was used to select 311 undergraduate nursing students from a university in Sichuan Province as the survey subjects. The general information questionnaire,emotional intelligence scale,future work self-salience scale,and career decision-making self-efficacy scale were used to investigate the nursing students,and the data were analyzed. Results The total score of career decision-making self-efficacy,emotional intelligence,and future work self-salience for undergraduate nursing students were （128.17±24.48）,（125.17±10.62） and （17.78±3.26）points,respectively. Career decision-making self-efficacy and emotional intelligence were positively correlated with future work self-salience（r=0.435,0.401,both P<0.01）,while career decision-making self-efficacy was positively correlated with emotional intelligence（r=0.468,P<0.01）. Emotional intelligence partially mediated the relationship between career decision-making self-efficacy and future work self-salience among undergraduate nursing students,accounting for 31.54% of the total effect. Conclusion Career decision-making self-efficacy can directly influence nursing students' future work self-salience,and can also indirectly influence future work self-salience through the mediating effect of emotional intelligence. Undergraduate nursing schools can improve their career decision-making self-efficacy and emotional intelligence level by increasing career planning guidance,group counseling,and organizing social practice,thereby enhancing their future work self-salience.

Key words: Undergraduate nursing student, Emotional intelligence, Future work self-salience, Career decision-making self-efficacy, Mediating effect, Structural equation model