Adversity quotient and professional quality of life among nurses in two public hospitals in southern Vietnam: A cross-sectional study

Objectives: To assess and identify factors associated with adversity quotient and professional quality of life among nurses in two public hospitals in Southern Vietnam. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 376 nurses. Data were collected using the Vietnamese versions of the adversity personal quotient and professional quality of life scales. Statistical analyses included Chi-square tests and Spearman’s correlation, with significance at p < 0.05. Result: The mean adversity quotient score was 3.11 (± 0.77) out of 5, with subdimension scores for control, ownership, reach, and endurance at 3.08 (± 0.87), 3.10 (± 0.85), 3.06 (± 0.97), and 3.21 (± 0.93) out of 5, respectively. Nurses’ professional quality of life scores averaged 3.69 (± 0.71) out of 5 for compassion satisfaction, 2.65 (± 0.55) out of 5 for burnout, and 2.84 (± 0.69) out of 5 for secondary traumatic stress. Age and years of working experience positively correlated with adversity quotient (rho = 0.409, 0.329, p < 0.001) and compassion satisfaction (rho = 0.276, 0.234, p < 0.001). Marital status was significantly associated with adversity quotient (χ2 = 37.4, p < 0.001) and compassion satisfaction (χ2 = 26.3, p < 0.001). Additionally, the adversity quotient positively correlated with compassion satisfaction (rho = 0.419, p < 0.001). Conversely, age, years of working experience, and adversity quotient were negatively correlated with burnout (rho = -0.386, -0.34, -0.276, p < 0.001) and secondary traumatic stress (rho = -0.327, -0.286, -0.188, p < 0.001). Burnout was linked to sex (χ2 = 8.73, p = 0.033) and marital status (χ2 = 26.7, p < 0.001), while secondary traumatic stress was associated with marital status (χ2 = 13.9, p = 0.008). Conclusion: Nurses demonstrated moderate levels of adversity quotient and professional quality of life. The results revealed significant associations between adversity quotient and age, marital status, and years of experience. Additionally, age, sex, marital status, experience, and adversity quotient were linked to at least one professional quality of life component, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to enhance and improve these metrics.