The relationship between professional quality of life and work alienation among nurses in neonatal intensive care units: a cross-sectional study

Background: Neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses face substantial psychological challenges. Work alienation – emotional disconnection from work – is a potential occupational concern with limited empirical attention. Left unaddressed, it may be associated with care quality and workforce stability. Objective: To evaluate work alienation as an occupational concern and explore its associations with professional quality of life (ProQoL) components: compassion satisfaction (CS), burnout (BO) and secondary traumatic stress (STS), among NICU nurses. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 188 nurses from West Bank governmental NICUs used ProQoL and Work Alienation Scales. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation and multiple regression. Results: Despite the conflict-affected setting, most nurses reported average/low levels of burnout (BO) and secondary traumatic stress (STS), rather than a composite compassion fatigue score. Conclusion: Work alienation is significantly associated with poorer ProQoL. Protecting NICU nurses requires interventions including peer support, restorative supervision and policy reform to sustain staff well-being and care quality.