Quiet Quitting in Emergency Health Services: A Phenomenological Study on the Experiences of Lower-Level Managers

Objective This study identified the reasons, processes, consequences, and associated situations for quiet quitting among emergency healthcare workers. It also revealed why silent resignation is preferred over real resignation. Methods The study employed a phenomenological design, a type of qualitative research design. The study group consisted of low-level managers working in emergency healthcare units. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted face-to-face or by telephone. A total of 17 participants were interviewed. The data were analyzed using thematic constructive content analysis. Results The analysis identified 5 subcodes, 38 codes, 14 subthemes, and 4 themes. The findings indicated that economic reasons were the most significant factor preventing emergency healthcare workers from resigning. Individual and work-related factors were identified as the primary reasons for quiet quitting. Participants were found to have adopted various practices to prevent quiet quitting, such as being fair, assigning tasks sequentially, and selecting volunteers. It was concluded that silent resignation has various negative effects on other employees, patients, and institutions. Conclusion The study concluded that the practices adopted by lower-level managers to prevent quiet quitting were inadequate. Some employees resigned silently for various reasons, and this increased the workload of other employees, decreased their motivation, and negatively impacted the atmosphere of the work environment and the quality of patient care. It also revealed that further research is needed on quiet quitting in healthcare.