The mediating role of job competence in the relationship between psychosocial safety climate and reflective practice among cardiac interventional nurses: a cross-sectional study

Background Cardiac interventional nurses work in high-risk and demanding clinical environments, which require strong professional competence and sound clinical decision-making. Reflective practice is widely regarded as an important approach to promoting nurses’ professional development. Psychosocial safety climate and job competence have been identified as key factors influencing reflective practice; however, evidence regarding their joint effects remains limited. Objectives This study aimed to examine the relationships among psychosocial safety climate, job competence, and reflective practice, and to test the mediating role of job competence in the relationship between psychosocial safety climate and reflective practice. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among 235 cardiac interventional nurses recruited from 112 hospitals in China. Data were collected using a general information questionnaire, the Psychosocial Safety Climate Scale, the Interventional Operating Room Nurse Job Competency Characteristics Questionnaire, and the Reflective Practice Questionnaire. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics (version 26.0) and AMOS (version 30.0). Results Cardiac interventional nurses reported moderate levels of psychosocial safety climate, job competence, and reflective practice. Psychosocial safety climate was positively correlated with job competence (r = 0.480, p  < 0.001) and reflective practice (r = 0.645, p  < 0.001), while job competence was also positively correlated with reflective practice (r = 0.705, p  < 0.001). Mediation analysis indicated that job competence partially mediated the relationship between psychosocial safety climate and reflective practice, accounting for 38.25% of the total effect. Conclusion This study suggests that job competence partially mediates the relationship between psychosocial safety climate and reflective practice, highlighting the importance of psychosocially supportive work environments in fostering nurses’ competence development and reflective practice in high-risk interventional settings. Clinical number Not applicable