Health-Related Quality of Life and the Phenomenon of Quiet Quitting Among Healthcare Professionals in a High-Complexity Orthopedic Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study.

AIM(S): To assess the physical and mental components of health-related quality of life among healthcare professionals working in a high-complexity orthopedic hospital; to identify the factors associated with these components; and to examine their association with quiet quitting, with particular attention to nursing staff.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a mono-specialty high-complexity orthopedic hospital in Northern Italy. Data were collected from 03 to 30 June 2025, through an online survey, and all staff were eligible, including nurses, physiotherapists, technicians, and social-health workers. Health-related quality of life was measured using a 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey questionnaire covering physical and mental components. Socio-demographic and work-related variables were collected to explore factors associated with health-related quality of life, including professional role and work setting. Quiet quitting was assessed using a validated scale.

RESULTS

A total of 527 participants were included. Most patients were female (70.4%) and aged 31-50 years (58.7%). Nurses represented the largest professional group (65.5%) and were mainly employed in inpatient wards (57.4%). A physical quality of life above the normative threshold (PCS ≥ 50) was found in 61.1% of workers (95% CI: 56.9-65.2), whereas 22.4% reported a mental quality of life above the normative threshold (95% CI: 19.0-26.2). Technicians and physiotherapists were more likely to report higher physical well-being (OR 2.26; 95% CI: 1.23-4.13), while social-health workers were more likely to report higher mental well-being (OR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.20-3.49). Quiet quitting was consistently associated with lower physical (OR: 0.93; 95% CI: 0.90-0.97) and mental (OR: 0.90; 95% CI: 0.86-0.94) quality of life across all professional groups.

CONCLUSION

Quiet quitting was associated with both physical and mental health-related quality of life among healthcare professionals in a high-complexity orthopedic setting. Differences across professional groups suggest that roles, skills, and responsibilities may be relevant to workers' well-being.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These findings highlight the importance of nursing leadership in monitoring staff well-being and implementing strategies to address workloads, role expectations, and engagement. Supportive interventions may enhance staff well-being and sustain the quality and safety of patient care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study protocol was registered on clinicaltrials.gov by identifier NCT07311187.