Factors Influencing Psychiatric Nursing Competency among Emergency Nurses: The Mediating Effect of Psychological Safety in a Cross-Sectional Study

Purpose: This study aimed to identify factors influencing psychiatric nursing competency among emergency nurses and to examine the mediating role of psychological safety in the relationship between communication self-efficacy and psychiatric nursing competency. Methods: Data were collected from 157 emergency nurses in Korea between November 20 and December 17, 2025, using an online self-administered questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlation, hierarchical multiple regression, and mediation analysis based on Baron and Kenny's approach (IBM SPSS 27.0). Results: The mean score of psychiatric nursing competency was 3.25±0.31. Psychiatric nursing competency was positively correlated with communication selfefficacy and psychological safety, and communication self-efficacy was also positively correlated with psychological safety. Regression analysis showed that psychological safety (β=.43, p<.001), communication self-efficacy (β=.38, p<.001), and psychiatric nursing education experience (β=.21, p<.001) significantly influenced psychiatric nursing competency, explaining 52.6% of the variance. Psychological safety partially mediated the relationship between communication self-efficacy and psychiatric nursing competency. Conclusion: Communication self-efficacy enhances psychiatric nursing competency through psychological safety, highlighting the need for integrated individual and organizational strategies.