The influence of job burnout on quiet quitting among nurses: the mediating effect of job satisfaction

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Quiet quitting seems to be a new threat for healthcare workers and organizations. Individuals now tend to stay at their jobs covering only the bare requirements. High levels of burnout among nurses especially after the COVID-19 pandemic could further increase their levels of quiet quitting. Objective: To investigate the impact of nurses’ job burnout on their quiet quitting. Moreover, we assessed the mediating effect of job satisfaction on the relationship between burnout and quiet quitting. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Greece. We collected data during June 2023. A convenience sample of 946 nurses was obtained. We used the “Quiet Quitting” Scale (QQS) to measure levels of quiet quitting within nurses, the “Copenhagen Burnout Inventory” to measure job burnout, and “Job Satisfaction Survey” (JSS) to measure job satisfaction. In mediation analysis, we controlled for the effects of demographic and job characteristics. Results: Mean score on QQS was 2.36, while on JSS was 101.23. Also, mean scores on work-related burnout, personal burnout, and client-related burnout were 62.25, 64.53, and 64.45 respectively. Job burnout was a positive predictor of quiet quitting (beta = 0.009, 95% confidence interval = 0.007 to 0.012, p < 0.001), while job satisfaction was a negative predictor of quiet quitting (beta = -0.004, 95% confidence interval = -0.006 to -0.003, p < 0.001). Job satisfaction partially mediated the positive relationship between burnout and quiet quitting (indirect effect = 0.0035, 95% confidence interval = 0.0021 to 0.0051, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Job burnout affected quiet quitting within nurses through the mediating effect of job satisfaction. It is essential to reduce burnout and improve satisfaction to decrease level of quiet quitting among nurses. Effective measures should be taken to decrease nurses’ job burnout in order to improve their job satisfaction and thereby reduce their quiet quitting.