Aims: To investigate the knowledge sharing behaviour of critical care nurse specialists and identify potential influencing factors.
Background: The specialist knowledge of critical care nurses is an important resource for the nursing team. It is necessary to investigate influencing factors of knowledge sharing behaviour of them.
Methods: Convenience sampling was used to conduct an investigation involving critical care nurse specialists from three provinces in China between October 2018 and June 2019. Practice Environment Scale, Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses, Knowledge Self-efficacy Scale, and knowledge sharing behaviour scale were utilized.
Results: The knowledge sharing behaviour score of critical care nurse specialists was 64.84 ± 11.53. The results of the regression analysis showed that the level of education, position, involvement of nurses in hospital affairs, knowledge, self-efficacy, sex, average number of night shifts per month, years engaged in nursing work, type of employment, leadership skills, critical thinking ability and manpower and material resources accounted for 45.9% of the variance.
Conclusions: Critical care nurse specialists exhibited limited knowledge sharing behaviour. Therefore, interventions based on the dependent variables are necessary.
Implications for nursing management: Knowledge sharing behaviour of critical care nurse specialists remains at a low level. Hence, it is necessary to encourage their greater participation according to associated factors.
Keywords: cross-sectional study; intensive care unit; knowledge sharing behaviour; nurse specialists.
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