The mediating role of psychological detachment between transformational leadership and work thriving among nurses in Chinese tertiary hospitals: a cross-sectional study

ObjectiveThis study adopts a cross-sectional design and selects nurses from tertiary hospitals in China as the research subjects. It aims to explore the influencing mechanism of transformational leadership on work thriving, as well as to examine the mediating effect of psychological detachment between the two variables. From the perspective of the Conservation of Resources Theory, a theoretical model framed as “leadership style, psychological detachment, work thriving” is established.MethodsFrom November 2025 to January 2026, a convenience sampling method was adopted to recruit participants from two tertiary hospitals in Shanghai. A total of 1,006 nurses were investigated using the Transformational Leadership Scale, the Psychological Detachment subscale of the Recovery Experience Questionnaire, and the Work Thriving Scale. Bootstrap method was employed for hypothesis testing.ResultTransformational leadership significantly and positively predicted work thriving (β = 0.743, p < 0.001). Psychological detachment partially mediated this relationship (indirect effect = 0.048; 95% CI [0.029, 0.070]), with transformational leadership predicting psychological detachment (β = 0.670, p < 0.001) and psychological detachment predicting work thriving (β = 0.172, p <0.001).ConclusionsThis study reveals the intrinsic mechanisms through which leadership styles promote work thriving by facilitating the restoration of nurses‘ psychological resources, thereby providing a theoretical foundation for hospital management practices. Based on these findings, it is recommended that hospital administrators focus on three key areas 0.001). Psychological detachment partially mediated this relationshipment, and promoting individual growth among nurses, to cultivate positive leadership behaviors, establish a systematic psychological support system, effectively enhance nurses' psychological detachment, and ultimately achieve mutual flourishing for both the nursing team and the hospital.