AIM: The aim of this study was to explore nurses' feedback seeking, the contextual issues established by mentors and career adaptability in a Chinese context. In addition, this research explored the moderating role of nurses' political skill. BACKGROUND: Mentors play a direct, important and distinct role in supporting mentees. However, little is known about the relationship between the contextual elements of mentor feedback and nurses' career adaptability. DESIGN: This study was based on cross-sectional data collected from 303 frontline nurses. METHOD: SPSS 22.0 was used for correlation and regression analysis, and the SPSS PROCESS macro was used for mediating, moderating and conditional process analysis. RESULTS: Feedback environment established by the mentor is associated with nurses' feedback-seeking behaviour and career adaptability. The indirect association of feedback environment with career adaptability via feedback seeking is stronger for employees with high political skill than those with low political skill. CONCLUSION: When mentors create a suitable context for feedback, nurses' career adaptability can be enhanced through feedback seeking, especially for nurses with high political skill. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers should strive to build a supportive feedback environment established by mentor. It is necessary to improve nurses' political skills.
AIM: The aim of this study was to explore nurses' feedback seeking, the contextual issues established by mentors and career adaptability in a Chinese context. In addition, this research explored the moderating role of nurses' political skill. BACKGROUND: Mentors play a direct, important and distinct role in supporting mentees. However, little is known about the relationship between the contextual elements of mentor feedback and nurses' career adaptability. DESIGN: This study was based on cross-sectional data collected from 303 frontline nurses. METHOD: SPSS 22.0 was used for correlation and regression analysis, and the SPSS PROCESS macro was used for mediating, moderating and conditional process analysis. RESULTS: Feedback environment established by the mentor is associated with nurses' feedback-seeking behaviour and career adaptability. The indirect association of feedback environment with career adaptability via feedback seeking is stronger for employees with high political skill than those with low political skill. CONCLUSION: When mentors create a suitable context for feedback, nurses' career adaptability can be enhanced through feedback seeking, especially for nurses with high political skill. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers should strive to build a supportive feedback environment established by mentor. It is necessary to improve nurses' political skills.