Background Nurses are exposed to poor psychological work environment which in turn may cause poor mental health. Poor mental health is a risk factor for suicidal ideation.

We intended to understand the association between psychosocial work environment and suicidal ideation among hospital nurses in Taiwan.

Method A self-reported questionnaire including demographic data, psychological work environment, and the question of suicidal ideation was sent to our participants- female nurses working in hospitals. Multiple logistic regression and population attributable risks (PARs) were preformed to assess the effect of psychological work environment on reporting having suicidal ideation.

Results A total of 2492 (72.6%) returned the questionnaires and were eligible for final analysis. The prevalence of reporting suicidal ideation was 18.3%. Higher risk of suicidal ideation was found associated with age between 36 and 40, educational level of Junior college or below, working for more than 60 hours per week, higher personal burnout, higher client-related burnout, and always felt stressed at job. Estimation of PAR showed that higher personal and client-related burnout, and always felt stressed at job were the most crucial factors and accounted for 12.2%, 9.3%, and 7.7% suicidal ideation among nurses.

Conclusion A significant proportion of nurses developed suicidal ideations. Poor psychological work environment and long working hours were relevant factors for suicidal ideation. A good psychological work environment is warranted to dissuade nurses from developing suicidal ideations.