OCCUPATION AND HEALTH ›› 2026, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (9): 1207-1212.

• Treatise • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Multiple mediating effects of self-depletion and career compromise on the relationship between workplace loneliness and silent behavior among clinical nurses

WANG Rong1, WANG Ping1, HU Hui2, WANG Xia3   

  1. 1. Hai'an People's Hospital Affiliated to Nantong University,Nantong,Jiangsu 226601,China
    2. Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University,Nantong,Jiangsu 226001,China
    3. Nantong University,Nantong,Jiangsu 226007,China
  • Received:2025-07-07 Revised:2025-07-25 Online:2026-05-01 Published:2026-05-22

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the current status of workplace loneliness,self-depletion,career compromise and silent behavior among clinical nurses,analyze the relationship between self-depletion and career compromise in the relationship between workplace loneliness and silent behavior,and to provide a reference for constructing a workplace mental health support system for clinical nurses. Methods From October to December 2024,352 clinical nurses from three government hospitals in Nantong City were conveniently selected and surveyed using general information questionnaire,the workplace loneliness scale,the self-regulatory fatigue scale,the career compromise scale,and the nurse organizational silence evaluation questionnaire,and the data were analyzed. Results The scores of workplace loneliness,self-depletion,career compromise and silent behavior among 352 clinical nurses were (48.53±8.99),(48.51±11.21),(39.39±9.55) and (62.59±13.98)points. Workplace loneliness,self-depletion,career compromise,and silent behavior were all positively correlated(r=0.647,0.618,0.645,all P<0.01). Self-depletion and career compromise played a multiple mediating role in the relationship between workplace loneliness and silent behavior,with the total mediation effects accounting for 38.3% of the total effect. Among them,self-depletion partially mediated the relationship between workplace loneliness and silent behavior,accounting for 13.9% of the total effect. Career compromise also partially mediated the relationship between workplace loneliness and silent behavior,accounting for 16.0% of the total effect. Self-depletion and career compromise together acted as a chain mediator between workplace loneliness and silent behavior,accounting for 8.4% of the total effect. Conclusion Clinical nurses exhibit higher scores in silence behavior,with self-depletion and career compromise demonstrating multiple mediating effects between workplace loneliness and silence behavior. Nursing managers can mitigate nurses' workplace loneliness to alleviate self-resource depletion,thereby reducing career compromise and silence behavior.

Key words: Clinical nurses, Workplace loneliness, Self-depletion, Career compromise, Silent behavior

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