Abstract
Background/Objectives: Occupational well-being and professional quality of life are essential for healthcare sustainability. While clinical staff are presumed to experience higher stress, few studies have compared their experience to that of non-clinical personnel within the same institution. Methods: This observational study involved 63 employees from an Italian research hospital: 36 healthcare workers in critical care and 27 administrative staff. Participants completed the Brief Coping Orientation to Problems Experienced Inventory (Brief COPE), an ad hoc organizational questionnaire, and the ProQoL Version 5 (administered to clinical staff only). Non-parametric tests (Mann-Whitney U and Chi-square) were used to explore group differences. Results: No significant differences emerged between groups in coping styles or strategies. Significant differences were observed only in reports of work-related injuries (42% of healthcare staff vs. 4% of administrative staff; p = 0.002) and perceived disruption caused by vacation requests (64% vs. 26%; p = 0.006). Other organizational indicators such as job dissatisfaction, intention to leave, or perceived managerial support did not differ significantly. ProQoL results showed that 53% of healthcare workers had moderate to high burnout, and 47.2% scored high on compassion fatigue, while only 2.7% showed high levels of secondary traumatic stress. Conclusions: Despite distinct operational contexts, healthcare and administrative staff reported broadly similar experiences in terms of coping and organizational well-being. These findings challenge assumptions of stark differences across professional roles and suggest that workplace well-being strategies should address the needs of both clinical and non-clinical staff.