Background: Voice behavior, referred to as a positive guarantee for organizational development, is influenced by several kinds of individual, collective and organizational features. However, the impact of individual competence on voice behavior is unclear. The aim of the present study was to investigate the status quo of core competence and voice behavior of clinical nurses and explore the impact of core competence on nurses’ voice behavior.
Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional survey. A total of 1717 nurses were recruited from nine tertiary and secondary hospitals between March and June 2019. An online questionnaire, including socio-demographic variables, employee voice behavior scale and competence inventory for registered nurses, was used to investigate prohibitive and promotive voice behavior and core competence of clinical nurses. Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression were performed in the data analysis.
Results: The mean score for prohibitive and promotive voice behavior of nurses were 3.46 (SD 0.77) and 3.46 (SD 0.88), respectively. The mean score for core competence was 2.46 (SD 0.77). Critical thinking/research aptitude was the most important predictor for both prohibitive and promotive voice behavior (each p < 0.05), but its influence on promotive voice behavior was greater (p < 0.05). Leadership was another significant predictor for prohibitive voice behavior (p < 0.05). Legal/ethical practice, teaching-coaching, professional development and shift work were other predictors for promotive voice behavior (each p < 0.05).
Conclusion: Clinical nurses experience modest levels of prohibitive and promotive voice behavior and their core competence is moderate. Core competence, especially critical thinking/research aptitude, impacts significantly on voice behavior of clinical nurses. Cultivating nurses’ core competence could positively increase their voice behavior for organizational development.



中文翻译：

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核心能力对临床护士发声行为的影响：一项多中心横断面研究

背景：发声行为被称为组织发展的积极保障，受个人、集体和组织等多种特征的影响。然而，个人能力对语音行为的影响尚不清楚。本研究旨在调查临床护士核心能力和发声行为的现状，探讨核心能力对护士发声行为的影响。
方法：多中心横断面调查。2019 年 3 月至 6 月期间，共从 9 家三级和二级医院招募了 1717 名护士。使用在线问卷调查，包括社会人口变量、员工发声行为量表和注册护士能力量表，调查禁止和鼓励发声行为和临床护士的核心能力。在数据分析中进行了Pearson相关和分层多元回归。
结果：护士禁止和鼓励声音行为的平均分分别为 3.46（SD 0.77）和 3.46（SD 0.88）。核心能力的平均得分为 2.46 (SD 0.77)。批判性思维/研究能力是禁止和促进声音行为的最重要预测因素（每个p< 0.05)，但其对促进性话语行为的影响更大( p < 0.05)。领导力是禁止性声音行为的另一个重要预测因素（p < 0.05）。法律/道德实践、教学指导、专业发展和轮班工作是促进声音行为的其他预测因素（每个p < 0.05）。
结论：临床护士的禁止性和鼓励性声音行为水平适中，核心能力适中。核心能力，尤其是批判性思维/研究能力，对临床护士的发声行为有显着影响。培养护士的核心能力可以正向增加他们对组织发展的发声行为。