ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To explore the influence of negative emotion on the professional identity of nurses in Guangdong Province and the moderating role of social support during COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A convenience sampling method was used to select 436 nurses in Guangdong Province as study subjects. The Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale, Nurse Professional Identity Scale and Perceived Social Support Scale were used to investigate the negative emotion, professional identity and social support of these nurses. RESULTS: The median, the 25 th and 75 th percentile scores of the negative emotion total scores of nurses was 10.0(3.0,17.8). The total scores of professional identity and social support were(106.6±16.9) and(56.9±13.2), respectively. The professional identity and social support were negatively correlated with negative emotion(P<0.01), while the professional identity was positively correlated with social support in these nurses(P<0.01). The negative emotion of nurses can negatively predict their professional identity, and social support plays a moderating role in it.CONCLUSION: The higher the degree of social support, the less negative emotional impact on professional identity of nurses during COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses should be given more social supports.