The Status of and Factors Associated With Quiet Quitting Among Clinical Nurses: An Evaluation and Latent Profile Analysis
Abstract
Aims This study aimed to examine the prevalence and latent profiles of quiet quitting among clinical nurses and identify factors associated with this condition across different nurse subgroups. Background Quiet quitting among clinical nurses poses a hidden threat to nursing workforce stability and quality of care. Burnout, work–family conflict, and professional identity are closely associated with quiet quitting in nurses. However, academic studies examined quiet quitting as a single global construct, without identifying the potentially heterogeneous profiles within the nursing workforce. Methods Convenience sampling was used to recruit clinical nurses employed at a Grade A tertiary hospital in Zhejiang Province between September 4 and 30, 2025. Data were collected using five questionnaires. The components used for the analysis included a general information questionnaire, the Quiet Quitting Scale, Maslach Burnout Inventory, Work–Family Conflict Scale, and Professional Identity Scale. Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to identify characteristic profiles of quiet quitting among nurses. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with the different latent profile categories. Results In total, 307 nurses participated in this study. The prevalence of quiet quitting was 76.2%, with an average score of 2.41 ± 0.56 points per item on the quiet‐quitting scale. The LPA identified three distinct quiet‐quitting profiles of nurses: “Conscientious Type” (21.82%), the “Observant Type” (65.15%), and the “Disengaged Type” (13.03%). Multinomial logistic regression analysis showed that burnout, professional identity, and professional title were factors associated with “Observant Type” nurses. In contrast, burnout, work–family conflict, and professional title were identified as factors associated with “Disengaged Type” nurses. Conclusions Burnout, work–family conflict, professional identity, and professional title were identified as factors associated with quiet quitting among clinical nurses. Nursing administrators should develop targeted intervention strategies based on the characteristics of each identified nursing profile. Implications for Nursing Management Nursing administrators should implement profile‐stratified interventions (psychological support, workload optimization, equitable recognition, and structured professional development) alongside structural empowerment and transparent reward systems to strengthen the professional identity and workforce stability of nursing staff.