Teamwork as a management strategy to enhance professional well-being and reduce burnout among neonatal intensive care unit nurses in Palestine: a cross-sectional study

Background: High burnout and staff turnover among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses present a critical management challenge, especially in resource-limited settings such as Palestine. Objective: This study investigated whether fostering positive teamwork attitudes is associated with improved professional quality of life (ProQoL). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 224 nurses from Level II and III governmental hospital NICUs, using the TeamSTEPPS Teamwork Attitudes Questionnaire and the ProQoL scale. Results: Positive teamwork attitudes were significantly associated with higher compassion satisfaction ( r = 0.631, p < 0.001) and significantly lower burnout ( r = −0.840, p < 0.001) and secondary traumatic stress ( r = −0.621, p < 0.001). Working a fixed day shift was also a significant predictor of higher compassion satisfaction. Teamwork attitudes explained 71.5% of the variance in burnout. Conclusion: For healthcare administrators, cultivating a strong teamwork culture is a strategic priority to combat burnout, enhance staff retention and secure high-quality neonatal care.