Factors Influencing Professional Quality of Life in Intensive Care Unit Nurses of University Hospitals

Purpose : This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the professional quality of life of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses working in university hospitals.Methods : A survey was conducted on 171 ICU nurses in university hospitals in B City, South Korea. This study used the Professional Quality of Life instrument, which consists of three subscales, namely, compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress. Data were analyzed using stepwise multiple regression analysis.Results : Compassion satisfaction was influenced by resilience, ICU job satisfaction, and innovation-oriented culture, and these variables explained 37.1% of the variance in compassion satisfaction. Burnout was influenced by resilience, a hierarchy-oriented culture, and ICU job satisfaction, and these variables explained 42.9% of the variance in burnout. Secondary traumatic stress was influenced by a task-oriented culture and resilience, and these variables explained 12.5% of the variance in secondary traumatic stress.Conclusion : These findings suggest the importance of improving resilience and job satisfaction to enhance the professional quality of life in ICU nurses. Moreover, creating an innovation-oriented culture rather than a hierarchical and task-oriented culture can effectively improve the professional quality of life of ICU nurses.