Work-life balance as a mediator between perceived stress and work withdrawal behavior among critical care nurses in China: a multicenter cross-sectional study

Background The working environment of ICU nurses, which is high-intensity and fast-paced, contributes to elevated levels of perceived stress, which may consequently lead to work withdrawal behavior. Although work-life balance is regarded as a critical resource in coping with perceived stress, its mediating mechanism between perceived stress and work withdrawal behavior has not yet been fully elucidated. Objective This study aims to examine the relationships between perceived stress, work-life ba