Associations between perceived stress profiles, social connection and work engagement in clinical registered nurses: a mediation analysis and generalized additive models.

Background: Investigating the links between individual perceived stress, social connection, and work involvement plays a crucial role in enhancing the psychological health and overall well-being of clinical nurses, as well as elevating the quality of nursing care in clinical settings. This study incorporates the concepts of social connection and work engagement. By considering the potential heterogeneity of variables and applying a mediation model, we identified the influence pathways through which subgroups of perceived stress affect social connection and work engagement.