Objective To describe the level of innovative behavior in clinical nurses, to explore the chain mediation effect of character strengths and job crafting on the relationship between professional identity and innovative behavior, and to provide reference for improving nurses′ innovation ability. Methods A total of 1,680 nurses completed a battery of questionnaires including a demographic data questionnaire, the Professional Identity Scale, Three-Dimensional Inventory of Character Strengths, Job Crafting Scale, and Nurse Innovation Behavior Scale. A chain mediation model was constructed and tested. Results The sample scored 100.03±16.72 on professional identity,50.71±6.28 on character strengths, 73.91±11.47 on job crafting and 29.45±7.22 on innovative behavior. Professional identity was positively correlated with character strengths, job crafting and innovative behavior (r=0.712,0.377,0.595, all P<0.05). Character strengths and job crafting played a chain mediating role in the relationship between professional identity and innovative behavior, which accounted for 0.386 and 0.092 of the total effect, respectively. Conclusion Clinical nurses′ innovative behavior is at a low to moderate level. Professional identity not only directly predicts innovative behavior, but also has indirect effect on innovative behavior through the chain of character strengths and job crafting. Hospital managers should pay more attention to professional identity education for clinical nurses, encourage them to adopt character strengths in their work, improve their job crafting ability, thus to enhance their innovative ability.