Quality of Nursing Work Life as a Predictor of Burnout and Turnover Intention Among Expatriate Nurses in a Pediatric Tertiary Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Expatriate nurses make up most of the nursing workforce in Saudi Arabia, yet little institution-specific evidence links their quality of nursing work life (QNWL) with burnout and turnover intention. Guided by the Job Demands–Resources model, this cross-sectional study determined whether QNWL predicted burnout and turnover intention among expatriate nurses at King Saud Medical City Pediatric Hospital, Riyadh. All 495 expatriate nurses on the staffing census were invited to an online survey from August 6 to September 28, 2026, and 245 eligible non-Saudi nurses were analyzed. Brooks' QNWL Survey, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and the Anticipated Turnover Scale (ATS) were used. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests, and simple linear regression with robust standard errors and bootstrap confidence intervals. Overall QNWL was moderate (item M = 4.31), with work context rated highest and work life/home life lowest. Depersonalization was high (M = 13.44), personal accomplishment was low (M = 29.24), and emotional exhaustion (M = 29.91) was at the threshold of the high range. The mean ATS item score (3.65) exceeded the 3.5 cut-off for turnover intention. Burnout and turnover intention differed by nationality and clinical unit but not by sex, age, marital status, or length of employment. QNWL predicted lower emotional exhaustion (β = −.24), lower depersonalization (β = −.17), higher personal accomplishment (β = .36), and lower turnover intention (β = −.39), explaining 2.8% to 15.1% of the variance. Strengthening work life/home life resources and supporting high-burnout units and nationality groups may help retain expatriate nurses.