The Mechanism of Emotional Intelligence and Personality Traits Influencing Achievement Motivation Among Nursing Interns and Their Instructors: An Actor–Partner Interdependence Model Analysis

ABSTRACT

Background: The nursing internship stage is a critical period in the professional development of nursing interns, during which psychological traits and the interactions between clinical instructors and their interns significantly influence achievement motivation. The core psychological variables underlying emotional intelligence and personality traits has not yet been clarified, and the interdependence between the two is yet to be explored. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the bidirectional mechanism of emotional intelligence and personality traits on achievement motivation between nursing instructors and interns during the internship period. The study adopted a subject-object interdependence perspective to examine how the psychological traits of nursing interns and instructors predict achievement motivation, thereby revealing key influence pathways within clinical teaching interactions. Setting and design: Affiliated teaching hospitals in Henan Province, China. Participants: Nursing interns plus their clinical instructors were recruited in January 2025. Methods: Validation tools used in the assessment included the General Information Questionnaire, Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, Chinese Big Five Personality Questionnaire Short Version Scale, and Achievement Motivation Scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlational analyses, and subject-object reciprocity models. Results: The emotional intelligence score and personality traits score of the nursing interns were at a moderate level, 50.37±11.31 and 120.29±36.93 respectively, while the achievement motivation score, -7.35±21.05, was at a low level. The intern scores were significantly lower than those of the instructor group (56.01±10.91 and 126.33±42.79). Two Actor-Partner Interdependence Model (APIM) models found that the interns’ emotional intelligence (β=0.356 and β=0.342 respectively, P<0.001) and personality traits (β=0.610 and β=0.757 respectively, P<0.001) had a significant positive predictive effect on both their own and their supervisors’ achievement motivation, indicating significant subject and object effect. In contrast, the effects of instructors’ personality traits on both their own and their students ’ achievement motivation were not significant (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Emotional intelligence and personality traits of nursing interns not only significantly affected their own achievement motivation, but had a positive