Transition Shock, Emotion Regulation and Imposter Phenomenon Among Nursing Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Clinical internship is a pivotal component of nursing students' professional development, yet the prevalent transition shock and imposter phenomenon among this group severely impede their psychological adaptation during the clinical phase. Existing studies have not yet clearly elucidated the specific regulatory mechanisms and action pathways of emotion regulation in the association between these two constructs. Methods : A cross-sectional survey was conducted among nursing students undergoing internships at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University and Zhangjiajie People's Hospital in Hunan, China. Data were collected using the transition shock scale, clance impostor phenomenon scale, and emotion regulation questionnaire, and analyzed by Pearson correlation and SPSS PROCESS macro for moderating effect. Results : The average scores of transition shock, imposter phenomenon, cognitive reappraisal, and expressive suppression were (53.190±16.656), (49.034±18.659), (18.750±6.106), and (10.669±4.202), respectively.Transition shock was positively correlated with imposter phenomenon and expressive suppression, and negatively correlated with cognitive reappraisal (all P<0.01). After controlling for demographic variables, both cognitive reappraisal (β=-0.008, P=0.043, 95%CI: -0.016~-0.001) and expressive suppression (β=0.019, P<0.01, 95%CI: 0.008~0.030) exerted significant moderating effects on the relationship between imposter phenomenon and transition shock. Conclusion : The study clarifies emotion regulation’s context-dependent moderating role, provides culture-specific evidence for Chinese nursing interns, and distinguishes regulatory pathways, offering implications for nursing education and adaptive strategy promotion..