Perceived Work Environment, Professional Identity, and Dispositional Hope Among Nurse Interns: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background: The transition from nursing education to professional practice requires nurse interns to consolidate clinical competence, develop professional identity, and establish future expectations within their work environments. Aim: This study examined the associations among perceived work environment, professional identity, and dispositional hope among nurse interns and assessed whether perceived work environment and professional identity remained independently associated with dispositional hope after adjustment for demographic and internship-related characteristics. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional correlational study was conducted among 1450 nurse interns at Benha University Hospitals, Egypt, using a total population sampling approach. Data were collected using the Perceived Work Environment Questionnaire, Professional Identity Scale for Nursing Students, and Adult Hope Scale. Descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple linear regression were performed. Results: The mean scores were 138.42 ± 18.92 for perceived work environment, 57.84 ± 8.96 for professional identity, and 47.20 ± 5.68 for dispositional hope. Perceived work environment showed significant positive correlations with professional identity (r = 0.58, p < 0.001) and dispositional hope (r = 0.52, p < 0.001), while professional identity was also positively correlated with dispositional hope (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). In the multiple linear regression analysis, perceived work environment (β = 0.359, p < 0.001) and professional identity (β = 0.282, p < 0.001) were both positively associated with dispositional hope after adjustment for the included demographic and internship-related covariates. The overall regression model was statistically significant—F (10, 1439) = 70.054, p < 0.001—and explained 32.7% of the variance in dispositional hope (R2 = 0.327; adjusted R2 = 0.323). Conclusions: Perceived work environment and professional identity were independently associated with dispositional hope among nurse interns. These findings underscore the relevance of structured supervision, constructive feedback, mentoring, and professional identity development within nursing education and internship programs.