Background As the reform of the health care system in China deepens and the competition in the medical sector becomes increasingly fierce, medical staff is faced with more pressure and challenges. As a result, they need strong internal motivation. Medical staff’s job satisfaction is closely linked to their performance, so hospital managers also need to raise job satisfaction of their staff. Existing research on psychological capital (PsyCap) demonstrates that it brings returns to the organisation. The study on the PsyCap of medical staff adds a new path to human resources management of hospitals and provides a new perspective in the management and training of medical staff. Methods This study develops a scale for the measurement of PsyCap of medical staff in China based on a standard scale development process: in-depth interviews, open-ended questionnaire, reliability and validity evaluation with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The final questionnaire was applied to a sample of 140 doctors, 160 nurses and 100 technicians working in 11 AAA-hospitals in Hangzhou. Results Results revealed a 39-item measurement model with two latent dimensions (Interpersonal and Task-based PsyCap) and nine subdimensions, with good reliability and validity: Optimism & Hope, Diligence, Perseverance, Calmness, Confidence & Braveness for Interpersonal PsyCap; Tolerance & Forgiveness, Humility & Honesty, Devotion & Thankfulness, and Respect & Politeness for Task-based PsyCap. Conclusions Currently job satisfaction of medical staff in China is not high, negatively influencing job satisfaction and the quality of the health care services. The raise the Interpersonal and Task-based PsyCap of medical staff is not only needed to cope with the ever-increasing doctor-patient conflicts, but also necessary in realising medical staff’s individual value and satisfaction with job. Main messages The study on the PsyCap of medical staff has added a new path to the Human Resources Management of hospitals and provided a novel perspective in the management and training of medical staff. This study explores the dimensions of PsyCap of medical staff in China and validates a measurement scale with two latent dimensions (Interpersonal and Task-based PsyCap) and nine subdimensions.

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Medical Staff,Psychological Capital,Job Satisfaction,Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses