Abstract
BACKGROUND: Nurses are working in increasingly complex environments due to technological advances and expanding role expectations. These environments lead to issues such as burnout and job dissatisfaction, which negatively affect the quality of working life. Although the relationship between the work environment and quality of working life has been explored in the literature, the mediating role of spirituality in this relationship remains insufficiently studied. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between nurses' perceptions of their work environments and their quality of working life and to test whether spirituality is a mediating factor in this effect. METHODS: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted online with 350 nurses working across Türkiye between June and July 2025. Data were collected using the Nursing Job Index, Nursing Work Environment Assessment Scale, the Employee Spirituality Scale, and the Nursing Work-Life Quality Scale. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). SPSS Version 25.0 and R software Version 4.4.2 were used for the analyses. RESULTS: The findings indicate that work environments perceived positively by nurses are associated with higher levels of spirituality and better work-life quality. Spirituality was found to serve as a mediating factor in the relationship between the work environment and the quality of working life. CONCLUSIONS: A positive nursing work environment is directly linked to a higher quality of working life through spirituality. The existence of environments sensitive to spiritual needs appears to be linked to nurses' inner resources, and this may be related to professional well-being and service quality. Further qualitative research in diverse cultural contexts is needed to gain a deeper understanding of the role of spirituality in the quality of working life.