Purpose: To examine the relationships between communication competence, job satisfaction, and organizational commitment regarding nursing work performance among psychiatric nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with psychiatric nurses from six institutions (N=200). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, and multivariable linear regression were performed, adjusting for age, clinical experience, education, position, work type, annual income, and certification. Standardized β coefficients and p-values were reported. Results: Communication competence demonstrated the strongest positive association with nursing work performance (β=.38, p<.001). Among the subdimensions, sense of calling (β=.30, p<.001), professional status (β=.18, p=.012), and interaction (β=.13, p=.022) were positively associated. Conversely, autonomy (β=-.13, p=.038) and holding a head nurse or higher position (β=-.16, p=.045) were negatively associated, whereas three-shift work showed a positive association (β=.14, p=.041). The model explained variance in nursing work performance (F=12.97, p<.001; adjusted R2=.55).

Conclusion: Emphasizing communication competence, reinforcing professional identity (e.g., sense of calling and professional status), and implementing structured autonomy within team-based systems may enhance nursing work performance in psychiatric units. These findings highlight practical targets for education and leadership to improve performance and care quality.

https://doi.org/10.12934/jkpmhn.2025.34.4.483