Latent Profiles of Professional Quality of Life and Transition Shock Among Nursing Students: A Cross‐Sectional Study

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ABSTRACT Aims To identify latent profiles of professional quality of life in nursing students and examine their association with transition shock. Design A cross‐sectional study following STROBE guidelines. Methods This study included a convenience sample of 352 nursing students undertaking clinical internships at a tertiary hospital in Changsha, China. Data were collected between April and May 2024. Participants completed a general demographic questionnaire, the Professional Quality of Life Scale, and the Transition Shock Scale. Latent profile analysis was used to identify latent subgroups based on professional quality of life. The R3STEP procedure was used to examine factors associated with profile membership. A univariate general linear model was used to examine differences in transition shock across the profiles. Results Four latent profiles were identified. These were the ‘Balanced Adaptation Profile’ (35.2%), the ‘Low Compassion Satisfaction and Cumulative Fatigue Profile’ (19.0%), the ‘High Compassion Satisfaction and Low Fatigue Profile’ (23.6%), and the ‘High Stress and High Compassion Satisfaction Profile’ (22.2%). After adjustment for covariates, transition shock scores differed across the four profiles. The highest adjusted mean score was observed in the ‘Low Compassion Satisfaction and Cumulative Fatigue Profile’ (mean = 51.38, SE = 0.88), whereas the lowest was observed in the ‘High Compassion Satisfaction and Low Fatigue Profile’ (mean = 39.99, SE = 0.83). Conclusion Four professional quality of life profiles were identified among nursing students, each with distinct characteristics. These profiles were associated with different levels of transition shock. The results may help nursing educators recognize differences in students' potential support needs during the transition to clinical practice. Implications for Nursing Practice The findings may guide the development of profile‐informed support strategies for nursing students. Future studies are needed to evaluate the effects of such strategies on nursing students' professional quality of life and transition shock. Patient or Public Contribution No patient or public contribution.