INTRODUCTION
Nursing students undergo a rigorous four-year program combining theoretical education and clinical practice to become registered nurses. Due to the demanding curriculum, heavy workload, and the close link between academic performance and hospital employment, they often experience significant academic stress and pressure. In particular, many nursing students face considerable psychological burdens while preparing for the national licensure exam [1,2]. As a result, some students, despite voluntarily enrolling in nursing school, end up dropping out [1,2]. Additionally, newly graduated nurses frequently choose to resign rather than cope with the challenges they encounter in hospitals. In 2019, the annual turnover rate for nurses in South Korea was 15.5%, a 1.5% increase from 2018. The turnover rate for newly registered nurses with less than 12 months of experience was the highest, ranging from 37.2% to 45.5%[3]. This rate is about three times higher than the average nurse turnover rate and can lead to an imbalance in the nursing workforce, potentially lowering the quality of care [3]. Moreover, newly registered nurses may experience negative impacts on their social role development and psychosocial maturity during early adulthood. Therefore, it is crucial to provide tailored psychological support to nursing students, both to improve the quality of care and to help them successfully transition into their professional roles. This requires identifying the psychological factors that influence them [4].
Grit is a concept that describes an individual's ability to persevere and continue working toward their goals despite crises or adversities [4]. For nursing students to become nurses who can work in professional and specialized environments while achieving long-term goals, grit is essential [1,2]. Grit enables them to overcome the challenges and demands they will face in both their academic journey and future clinical settings. Therefore, enhancing nursing students' grit is crucial to help them persevere and successfully reach their long-term objectives.
Positive psychological capital, a concept that encompasses self-efficacy, hope, and resilience, is known to be an important factor that positively influences grit [5]. Positive psychological capital denotes a psychological state where individuals utilize their strengths to reach goals and improve performance in challenging situations [6]. It promotes proactive thinking and behavior by encouraging positive responses to the environment, leading to higher academic achievement, professional success, and personal happiness [6,7]. Research findings reveal that higher levels of positive psychological capital in students who major in nursing result in greater motivation in their studies and higher levels of grit [8].
Previous research on grit has demonstrated that, in addition to positive psychological capital, mindset is another crucial factor in fostering grit [8,9]. Mindset refers to the belief that outcomes can change depending on one's attitude [8,9]. It is typically divided into a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. A growth mindset is the belief that abilities can be developed through effort, while a fixed mindset is the belief that intelligence and talent are static and unchangeable, no matter how much effort is applied [10]. Individuals with a strong growth mindset tend to overcome failures and persevere, whereas those with a strong fixed mindset often withdraw after experiencing failure [11]. In other words, when faced with situations that involve both success and failure, the belief that "I can do it" increases persistence and the willingness to face challenges, making mindset a significant predictor of grit.
Thus, both positive psychological capital and mindset are expected to influence nursing students' levels of grit. If nursing students struggle to adapt to the demanding academic process, they may find it difficult to achieve long-term goals due to negative internal factors such as stress. However, if they possess high levels of positive psychological capital and a growth mindset, their grit will be strengthened, leading to not only goal achievement but also increased satisfaction and happiness in life [7,11].
Previous studies on grit among nursing students have primarily focused on internal protective factors such as academic stress, academic achievement, and adaptation to university life [8]. Mindset, typically divided into growth and fixed mindsets, has been mostly examined as a factor influencing learning-related variables [12,13]. While the importance of grit in nursing students has been recognized, research on this topic is limited [12-14], and studies that explore the combined influence of positive psychological capital and mindset are particularly scarce.
Therefore, this research aims to explore the connection between positive psychological capital and mindset to enhance grit among nursing students. By evaluating the impact of each factor on grit, this research intends to offer foundational data necessary to support the creation of grit-enhancement programs for nursing students.
The research goals are specified below.
• To identify the levels of positive psychological capital, mindset, and grit among the participants.
• To identify differences in grit according to the participants' general characteristics.
• To analyze the correlations between positive psychological capital, mindset, and grit.
• To determine the influence of positive psychological capital and mindset on grit.
METHODS
1. Design
This research employs a cross-sectional descriptive survey to explore the influence of positive psychological capital and mindset on grit among nursing students.
2. Participants
The study participants were nursing students from a university located in J City, Jeollabuk-do, South Korea. These students were fully informed of the study's objectives and gave their consent to participate. The sample size was estimated, by applying the G*Power 3.1.9.2 program, based on a significance level of 0.05, an effect size of 0.15, a statistical power of 0.80, 9 general characteristics, and 11 predictors, including positive psychological capital and mindset, resulting in a required sample size of 123. To account for a potential 10% dropout rate or invalid responses, 135 individuals were recruited. The final analysis included the data of all study participants.
3. Instruments
This investigation's instruments consisted of 55 items, including 9 questions on general characteristics (gender, age, academic year, household economic status, level of satisfaction with the major, participation in club activities, involvement in volunteer activities, academic grades, and stress level), 18 questions on positive psychological capital, 8 questions on mindset, and 20 questions on grit. The instruments were authorized for use by the original authors and the translators. Among the general characteristics, stress was measured using a wearable electroencephalography (EEG) device (neuroNicle FX2, LAXTHA, Inc., Korea). The power value of the high beta frequency (High beta), which increases under stress, was used as the measurement. The results were categorized as ‘extremely low,’ ‘minimal,’ ‘average,’ ‘elevated,’ or ‘exceptionally high,’ and reclassified into two groups: ‘extremely low/minimal/average’ and ‘elevated/exceptionally high’.
1) Positive Psychological Capital
Positive psychological capital was assessed with the Korean adaptation of the Positive Psychological Capital Questionnaire (K-PPC), created by Luthans et al. [15] and translated and standardized by Lim [16]. This tool consists of 18 items across four domains: self-efficacy (5 items), optimism (5 items), hope (5 items), and resilience (3 items). Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (‘not at all’) to 5 (‘very much so’), with total scores ranging from 18 to 90. Higher scores indicate greater positive psychological capital. The reliability of the instrument was measured as Cronbach’s ⍺=.93 in Lim’s study [16] and Cronbach’s ⍺=.90 in this study.
2) Mindset
Mindset was measured using a self-report questionnaire developed by Dweck [17] and adapted by Park [18]. The tool consists of two domains: growth mindset (4 items) and fixed mindset (4 items), for a total of 8 items. Responses to each item are given on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much so). The scoring scale extends from 8 to 40, with fixed mindset items reverse-scored. Higher total scores indicate a stronger growth mindset. The reliability of the scale was measured as Cronbach’s ⍺=.86 in Park’s research [18] and Cronbach’s ⍺=.87 in this study.
3) Grit
Grit was assessed using the Korean version of the Original Grit Scale (K-GRIT), standardized by Lee et al. [19], derived from the original scale created by Duckworth et al [20]. This tool consists of three domains: effort-persistence (10 items), passion-enjoyment (5 items), and passion-meaning (5 items), for a total of 18 items. Each item is rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 ("not at all") to 5 ("very much so"). Total scores range from 20 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater grit. The reliability of the instrument was measured as Cronbach’s ⍺= .84-0.91 for the subdomains in Lee et al.'s study [19] and Cronbach’s ⍺ = .87 for all factors in this study.
4. Data Collection and Ethical Considerations
Data for this study were collected between September 10 and September 20, 2023, upon obtaining ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board of J University (JBNU2023-08-038-001). The study’s purpose was explained to the university, and permission was granted to post recruitment notices in order to recruit participants. The notice included information on the study's objectives, methods, inclusion criteria, potential benefits and risks, the option for voluntary withdrawal, and confidentiality assurances. Students who expressed interest in participating were contacted by phone, during which the research team provided a detailed explanation to ensure participants fully understood the study. The survey was administered through Google Forms, and participants could only proceed after agreeing to the informed consent form, presented as the first question. Participant responses were anonymized through coding, and the data were securely stored on computer secured by a password, with access strictly limited to the principal investigator. Stress levels were measured using biosignals, with a trained research assistant using a wearable device (neuroNicle FX2, LAX THA, Inc., Korea) to record participants' brainwaves. The measurement took approximately one minute, and participants were instructed to sit comfortably, close their eyes, and remain silent for accurate readings. The study was conducted anonymously, and participants received a small gift voucher as compensation.
5. Data Analysis
The data analysis was conducted through IBM SPSS/WIN 26.0, as outlined below:
• Frequencies and percentages were used to analyze participants' general characteristics.
• Means and standard deviations were employed to assess the levels of positive psychological capital, mindset, and grit.
• Independent t-tests and one-way ANOVA were conducted to examine differences in grit based on participants' general characteristics.
• Pearson’s correlation analysis was used to explore the relationships between positive psychological capital, mindset, and grit.
• Multiple regression analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing grit.
RESULTS
1. General Characteristics of the Participants and Grit Levels
The general characteristics of the participants were analyzed based on gender, age, academic year, household economic status, level of satisfaction with their major, participation in club activities, involvement in volunteer activities, academic grades, and stress levels (Table 1). No statistically significant differences in grit were found based on gender, age, academic year, household economic status, level of satisfaction with their major, participation in club activities, academic grades, or stress levels. However, a significant difference in grit was observed based on volunteer experience, with students who had volunteer experience showing higher grit levels compared to those without (t=3.31, p =.001).
2. Levels and Correlations of Positive Psychological Capital, Mindset, and Grit
The study subjects' mean scores for positive psychological capital, mindset, and grit were 67.26±8.55, 31.09±4.74, and 75.12±8.56, respectively, with item means of 3.74±0.48, 3.89±0.59, and 3.76±0.43 (Table 2). Grit was found to have a significant positive correlation with positive psychological capital (r=.60, p <.001) and mindset (r=.22, p =.010). Additionally, a notable positive correlation was found between positive psychological capital and mindset (r=.29, p =.001) (Table 3).
3. Factors Influencing Grit
Multiple regression analysis was conducted using volunteer experience, positive psychological capital, and mindset, which were identified as significant variables in the univariate analysis. The prerequisites of normality, linearity, homoscedasticity, and multicollinearity were tested, and normal P-P plots, scatter plots, tolerance values, and the variance inflation factor (VIF) were analyzed. The normal P-P plot showed that residuals were evenly distributed along the 45-degree line, and the scatter plot of the residuals revealed no trends, with values evenly distributed around zero. Tolerance values varied from .44 to .96, exceeding the minimum threshold of 0.1, and VIF values ranged from 1.03 to 2.30, indicating no issues with multicollinearity. The regression model was statistically significant (F=32.26, p <.001). Factors influencing grit included volunteer experience (β=.24, p <.001) and positive psychological capital (β=.57, p <.001), and these variables explained 65% of the variance in grit (Table 4).
DISCUSSION
The present research sought to investigate the impact of positive psychological capital and mindset on grit in nursing students. The findings revealed that, among the general characteristics, volunteer experience was the only factor that significantly influenced grit. This finding is supported by Clary and Snyder's [21] explanation of various motivations for participating in volunteer activities, particularly the pursuit of personal growth and development through passion. However, while no significant difference in grit was found based on stress levels measured through biosignals, 74.8% of the students were classified as experiencing "high" or "very high" stress, confirming that nursing students experience a substantial level of stress. This outcome is in agreement with earlier studies indicating that nursing students face higher levels of stress compared to those in other fields.[1]. While prior studies on nursing student stress primarily relied on self-reported surveys [1,2,8,22], this study is noteworthy for its more objective measurement of stress through electroencephalography (EEG) to assess high-beta waves, which are associated with stress. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive strategies to reduce the stress faced by nursing students.
The grit score of nursing students in this study was measured at 3.76, which is higher than the 2.97 reported by Lee [23] and the 3.11 reported by Kim and Kim [24] in previous studies on grit among nursing students. However, the lower scores in those studies may be due to the unstable learning environments during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the shift to online learning [22,23]. In contrast, Park and Bae's study [25] on general college students reported a grit score of 4.29, indicating that nursing students exhibit slightly lower levels of grit compared to their peers in other fields. Although grit is essential for accomplishing long-term goals in nursing education [1,2], the lower grit scores observed in this study indicate the need for programs designed to strengthen grit, helping nursing students sustain perseverance and achieve their long-term objectives.
In this study, nursing students' positive psychological capital was recorded at 3.74. This is higher than the 3.42 reported by Jeong and Jeong [8] and the 3.33 reported by Kim and Jang [26] for nurses but lower than the 3.97 reported by Lee and Lee [27] in a study of general college students. This suggests that nursing students may have relatively lower positive psychological capital compared to their peers, possibly due to the heavy academic burden and stressful learning environments they face, which can lead to negative physical and psychological reactions [8]. Consequently, implementing interventions that boost positive psychological capital and minimize negative responses among students majoring in nursing is essential.
The mindset score of nursing students in this study was 3.89, which is similar to the 3.80 reported in previous studies on nursing students [14], but lower than the 4.25 reported by Park and Bae [25] in their study on general college students. Although there are limited studies on the factors influencing the mindset of nursing students, it seems likely that the elevated levels of stress they experience may inhibit the development of a growth mindset, as suggested by the inverse relationship between stress and growth mindset found in previous studies [28]. Therefore, efforts to improve the mindset of nursing students should not overlook the role of stress.
Additionally, a significant correlation between mindset and grit was found in this study, similar to the findings of Han [29], who reported that college students with a higher growth mindset tended to have higher levels of grit. Duckworth's research also supports the idea that a growth mindset directly impacts grit and indirectly influences academic persistence and engagement [10]. Dweck defines mindset as how an individual pervceives the malleability of intelligence, and those with a higher growth mindset are more likely to understand the value of learning, even in challenging situations, and invest more time and effort to achieve long-term goals [17]. Therefore, a growth mindset is closely related to the key characteristics of grit, namely effort and persistence in pursuing long-term goals, which can emotionally and behaviorally impact the academic achievement of nursing students. Despite the significant correlation between these two variables, mindset was not found to have a direct influence on grit in this study. This could be explained by the stronger influence of positive psychological capital on grit, which may have diminished the explanatory power of mindset. Future studies should aim to clarify the relationship between these variables through representative sampling and longitudinal research designs.
The factors influencing grit identified in this study were volunteer experience (β=.24, p <.001) and positive psychological capital (β=.57, p <.001), with these variables explaining 65% of the variance in grit. This suggests that participation in volunteer activities may enhance self-efficacy, a key component of grit [30]. Therefore, it is necessary to develop programs that enhance self-efficacy and test their effectiveness in improving grit among nursing students. Moreover, universities and related institutions should actively promote and support volunteer programs for nursing students, as these programs have been shown to improve grit.
Positive psychological capital also emerged as a significant factor influencing grit. Research by Jeong and Jeong demonstrated that as grit improves, positive psychological capital also increases [8], aligning with the outcomes of this research. This emphasizes the need to enhance positive psychological capital to foster grit. Positive psychological capital is consists of four elements: self-efficacy, hope, resilience and optimism all of which support the maintenance of a positive mental state, encouraging academic engagement and assisting students in reaching their goals [8,16]. Therefore, it is crucial to develop educational programs that strengthen positive psychological capital and encourage active participation from nursing students to support their long-term goal achievement. Strengthening both positive psychological capital and involvement in volunteer activities is crucial for cultivating grit in nursing students, which can positively influence their future by alleviating negative emotions like academic stress.
Although there are few published studies on grit among nursing students [12-14], this study is the first to integrate positive psychological capital and mindset to identify factors influencing grit. In doing so, it establishes a theoretical basis for creating effective intervention programs that aim to improve grit by fostering positive psychological capital and encouraging volunteer participation. This study underscores the need for specialized programs to support nursing students in achieving their long-term goals. Additionally, it highlights the importance of developing educational and volunteer programs that enhance positive psychological capital to promote grit. Caution is advised when generalizing these findings to all nursing students, as the study relied on a convenience sample from a single university.
CONCLUSION
This research sought to explore how positive psychological capital and mindset influence grit in nursing students, offering a theoretical basis for designing interventions to strengthen grit. The results showed that both volunteer experience and positive psychological capital positively influenced grit among nursing students. Therefore, to enhance nursing students' grit, interventions that encourage participation in volunteer activities while simultaneously strengthening positive psychological capital are necessary. Additionally, incorporating volunteer participation and positive psychological capital improvement programs is crucial when developing grit enhancement programs for nursing students. These interventions will contribute to nursing students’ long-term goal achievement, improve their job performance as nurses, and support effective workforce management.
Based on these findings, future research should expand the sample size and geographical scope to compare and analyze the results with those of this study. Additionally, developing mental health programs aimed at enhancing grit among nursing students and conducting studies to verify their effectiveness is recommended. Additionally, investigating other variables that could impact the grit of nursing students, beyond those examined in this study, would offer a more thorough understanding of the contributing factors.
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