Abstract: Objective: To explore the constructive process and influencing factors of nursing professional resilience development in junior nurses. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 17 junior nurses, and Charmaz's constructing grounded theory paradigm was used to guide the data collection and data analysis. Results: The Pine Tree Model (PTM), a nursing professional resilience development model in junior nurses, was constructed. This model presented that the essence of the nursing professional resilience development was the nursing profession growing process with four developmental paths: high level resilience-profession path, medium-high level resilience-career path, medium-low level resilience-job path and low level resilience-resignation path. Moreover, five themes and 16 sub-themes affecting nursing professional resilience were identified. Conclusion: The development of nursing professional resilience is a multilevel and dynamic process, which is influenced by individual attributes, professional attributes, interpersonal relationships, institutional level factors and social level factors. This study provides a conceptual framework for the development of nursing professional resilience measurement, and also provides a theoretical preference to improve the professional resilience level and retention rate among junior nurses.

Key words: junior nurse; nursing professional resilience; grounded theory