Quiet Quitting, Resenteeism and Other Forms of Disengagement: What Are the Answers for Nurses?

Disengagement in the workplace can occur when people feel or experience a lack of connection or negative attitudes towards their work, their colleagues and/or their employers. Discretionary work, or the extra effort given by people in the workplace to go beyond the basic requirements of their position, is an expectation of many employers. Organisations often depend on employees undertaking discretionary work; disengaged employees, however, tend to do only what is necessary in the workplace. In nursing, such disengagement can negatively impact patients, families, multidisciplinary teams, services, organisations and communities. In this editorial, we discuss workplace disengagement, including what it is and why it occurs. We conclude by considering options for addressing disengagement in nursing. Over the years, a variety of terms have been used to describe disengagement from work or the workplace. Absenteeism describes the behaviour of workers who habitually take leave; presenteeism refers to people who attend work while unwell (which can be harmful to the person themselves, their colleagues, or the organisation) or those who work at suboptimal levels due to disengagement. A more recent term, resenteeism, refers to the behaviours of those who work in roles they find dissatisfying and feel trapped, resentful or angry because there are no suitable alternative workplace options (Robinson 2023). Other recently coined terms for describing the behaviours of disengaged employees include 'quiet quitting', 'loud quitting', 'naked quitting' and 'rage applying'. The notion of quiet quitting rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic and refers to the practice of presenting for work with no energy, enthusiasm or commitment (Domingue, Lauzier, and Foth 2024). The quiet quitter is passive, declining to work more hours than their contract requires or go the extra mile, even when offered financial recompense. Nurses who quit quietly may be reluctant to take on additional shifts, stay late in emergencies, take on the precepting or facilitating of students, assume the in-charge of shift role, act up into senior roles, or generally undertake any work that 'someone else' could do instead (Zuzelo 2023). Post-pandemic, with many people re-evaluating their quality of life and reflecting on their place in an uncertain world, the practice of quiet quitting continues in many workplaces. The loud quitter expresses dissatisfaction with their work, their manager, the employing organisation or anyone who will listen. Rage applying describes the behaviour of those who apply for alternative jobs in anger or desperation (Stanfill 2024). Naked quitting describes leaving a job with no other work lined up (Calderwood and Wu 2024). Such a diversity of terms suggests that people who feel unhappy or dissatisfied with their work or workplace can have many different presentations. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many nurses experienced prolonged pressure to perform in high-acuity situations, leading to fatigue, psychological detachment and burnout. Some would argue, however, that nurses have always been working 'over and above', managing critical incidents, filling gaps when short-staffed, supporting the team with additional non-nursing activities and addressing the concerns of patients or family members after the end of a shift. Likewise, nurse educators and researchers have traditionally worked in their own time to ensure the achievement of key deliverables. Regardless of the setting, some nurses' work burden is onerous enough for them to make individual choices to re-prioritise their work–life balance using survival strategies such as quiet quitting (Zuzelo 2023). Apart from work–life balance, many people, including nurses, disengage due to negative workplace issues such as bullying, horizontal violence and white-anting (Mohr et al. 2024). These behaviours have been attributed to poor management practices (Arnetz et al. 2019), with leaders or managers unwilling or lacking the skills to address the underlying issues. For example, workplace behaviours such as favouritism and cronyism, where managers reward those they like rather than those who achieve outcomes, can lead to resenteeism, quiet quitting or loud quitting in those who feel overlooked, marginalised or excluded. Other issues include the lack of clarity of employers' expectations, such as unclear or poor communication of goals or deadlines for the work, which can diminish the goodwill of team members. Robinson (2023) notes that disengagement can occur when people are left to best-guess workplace priorities and are then questioned by managers as to why they have not completed related tasks. In such situations, some managers will resort to micromanagement, further eroding morale and creativity and generating a high staff turnover (Cleary et al. 2015). The practice of undervaluing or underappreciating the individual contribution of team members is likewise problematic in the workplace. For example, links have been made between disengagement and the ongoing expectations of managers that going the extra mile is a part of the job (Harter 2022). This approach can go hand-in-hand with the phenomenon of performance punishment, where nurses with high productivity are given increasing amounts of work, to the point of fatigue and burnout. Related to this are situations where people may experience frustration when their contributions are overshadowed by colleagues who take the credit for shared work. Systemic issues are also a cause of workplace disengagement. These issues can range from low pay and benefits, lack of opportunities or support for professional growth or career progression and misalignment between organisational mission and values. For example, some nurses may grow disenchanted with roles in health facilities where the business model is more important than the needs of patients and their families. Workplace disengagement is a substantial challenge for leaders and managers in the 21st century. According to Gallup (2024), low engagement costs US $8.9 trillion in global Gross Domestic Product. Harter (2022) notes that actively disengaged people may spread dissatisfaction, negatively impacting the team's morale. For example, loud quitting often includes vocalising feelings of disenchantment to other team members. Tong (2023) suggests that loud quitters may harm the organisation by causing ongoing crises and actively opposing and undermining leaders and managers. Disengagement can also impact mental health and well-being. For example, people who are unhappy for large proportions of their day at work may find it difficult to view their lives as satisfying. Additionally, individuals practising rage applying may make hasty employment decisions misaligned with their skills or values and detrimentally impact their career opportunities (Stanfill 2024), while naked quitters risk financial disadvantage and lack of security. On the other hand, there are those who view workplace disengagement through a positive lens. As noted, some people quit quietly to achieve a better work–life balance, maintaining their employment by meeting the minimum of their contract requirements. This choice could be viewed as an effective means to a constructive end for the individual worker (Zuzelo 2023). Another perspective argued by Domingue, Lauzier, and Foth (2024) suggests quiet quitting can be an ethical option for nurses who seek to resist demands for 'obedience' in neoliberal healthcare systems that prioritise financial considerations over patient well-being. Perhaps the motivation for disengaging is the factor that differentiates the positive approach to quiet quitting from more overt and challenging behaviours, such as loud quitting. Engaged, committed and 'can do' nurses are essential for the success and cooperation of multidisciplinary teams, quality health service delivery and, ultimately, better outcomes for patients and their families. To build and maintain a stable workforce, nurse managers and leaders must develop attractive workplaces that meet the needs and preferences of nurses. Of interest is the suggestion by Harter (2022) that only one in three managers feel engaged at work. This suggests that the responsibility for change is not only for managers but also for individuals and organisations. As individuals, we can reflect on whether we are quiet quitters and, if so, how we reached this point in our work. We can question our motivations, including how we can (or if we should) change our behaviours and attitudes to both better meet our personal needs and contribute more meaningfully to our workplace, including supporting the teams of which we are part. We can also take action to develop positive coping strategies to mediate the effects (including quiet quitting) of bullying and other negative workplace events. According to Galanis et al. (2024), such strategies include emotional and instrumental support, positive reframing, problem-focused planning, acceptance, venting or having crucial conversations and humour. It is important to be aware of disengagement and its effects on teams. In so doing, we can consider how to better balance our work–life activities, including family and work responsibilities, recreational activities and self-care. If workplace expectations are unreasonable, there is the potential to collectively decide how to approach managers to address the issues and work together to achieve systemic change. As managers and team leaders, we can regularly engage in conversations with individual colleagues and team members to decrease disengagement and burnout, implementing workplace changes that can make people feel valued as team members working toward a meaningful goal. This requires much more than thanking people or expressing appreciation in meetings; providing equitable and inclusive opportunities for personal and professional growth and advancement is necessary, including addressing workplace cultures characterised by cliques, favouritism or cronyism. There are many strategies to reduce issues such as micromanagement and ensure people have more ownership over their work and decision-making, and thereby feel more invested in their work. Such strategies include collaboratively developing policies to retain valuable team members and colleagues. Workplace disengagement in nursing poses challenges not only to individual well-being but also to team performance and patient care. Heavy workloads, poor management, negative workplace cultures and inadequate support can lead to low job satisfaction and waning motivation and commitment. Addressing these issues requires proactive measures to foster supportive, inclusive and enabling work environments. Having self-awareness of workplace disengagement and utilising relevant and appropriate strategies to recognise and mitigate it can help to avoid it in ourselves and our colleagues and team members. The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The authors have nothing to report.