A study on reciprocal work-family benefits in the context of narrative medicine in China
10.12026/j.issn.1001-8565.2026.09.13
- VernacularTitle:中国叙事医学语境下的职家双向增益研究
- Author:
Xiaolin YANG
1
;
Kangfu LIU
2
;
Ying ZHAO
3
;
Sulin ZHENG
4
Author Information
1. General Education Department， Southern Medical University， Guangzhou 510515， China
2. the Fifth Affiliated Hospital， Sun Yat-sen University， Zhuhai 519000， China
3. Shenzhen Pingshan Maternal and Child Health Hospital， Shenzhen 518122， China
4. Affiliated Hospital of Guangdong Medical University， Zhanjiang 524001， China
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
narrative medicine;
medical professionals’ narrative competence;
narrative ecology;
reciprocal work-family enrichment
- From:
Chinese Medical Ethics
2026;39(9):1227-1236
- CountryChina
- Language:Chinese
-
Abstract:
The “reciprocal work-family benefits” demonstrate that experiences from either professional or family roles enhance the performance and qualities of the other. A total of 4，431 narrative literacy questionnaires were returned from medical and nursing staff across seven provinces and municipalities in China. The results showed a positive correlation between professional development and family interaction （r=0.794， P<0.001）， namely， the improvement of medical and nursing staff’s professional narrative competence can facilitate family narrative interaction， and vice versa. Stemming from the viewpoint of reciprocal work-family enrichment from conservation of resources theory， this paper elaborated on why family and professional roles are taken into account during the development of the Chinese Medical Professionals’ Narrative Competence Scale. Traditional views regarded profession and family as opposing relationships in resource competition， whereas Chinese narrative medicine regarded medical professionals， who simultaneously occupy multiple roles， as a “whole.” The latter advocated for the construction of multidimensional positive narrative connections between medical professionals and themselves， families， workplaces， and society， to prevent medical professionals from suffering narrative closure and occupational burnout confined to a single professional identity. This paper analyzed the mediating effect of the improvement of medical professionals’ overall narrative competence in the formation of reciprocal work-family enrichment， and further proposed benefit-enhancing strategies at both individual and organizational levels， thereby improving medical professionals’ comprehensive capabilities and advancing high-quality development of hospitals.
