ArticleBMC nursing2026
The impact of working time conditions on nurses' private life: a cross-sectional study on spillover effects and structural factors for recovery.
Article in BMC nursing, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Shift Work and Psychological Distress Among Healthcare Workers: The Mediating Role of Sleep Quality and the Association with Job Dissatisfaction.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
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7 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundWorking conditions in the nursing profession, characterized by shift work and staff shortages, severely impair nurses’ capacity for recovery. This leads to a negative spillover effect, where work-related stress and exhaustion impact private life, threatening staff well-being and retention. While the consequences are known, the specific structural and organizational drivers of these recovery deficits are not fully understood. This study aims to identify key structural factors in working time arrangements that impact nurses’ recovery.
methodsA quantitative, cross-sectional online survey was conducted between August and October 2024. The sample included 544 nursing professionals from various stationary care sectors in Germany. A standardized questionnaire, developed from validated scales, assessed working time arrangements (overtime, breaks, rest periods), schedule predictability, and negative spillover effects from work to private life. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlations, and a multiple linear regression model.
resultsThe findings revealed a high prevalence of structural stressors, with a majority of nurses reporting regular overtime (61.5%), frequently missed breaks (61.2%), and non-adherence to statutory rest periods (55.9%). A multiple linear regression analysis, explaining 27.8% of the variance in negative spillover, showed that all five investigated structural factors were significant, independent predictors. The frequent omission of breaks emerged as the strongest unique predictor, followed by the frequency of schedule changes, schedule unpredictability (lead time), overtime, and insufficient rest periods.
conclusionThis study provides strong evidence that nurses’ recovery is critically dependent on structural organizational frameworks. Factors such as overtime, insufficient recovery periods, and schedule instability are key, modifiable drivers of the negative spillover effect, which undermines nurses’ work-life balance. Healthcare institutions and policymakers must shift from focusing on individual coping to implementing robust organizational policies. Key strategies include enforcing statutory rest periods, establishing predictable scheduling, and investing in staffing models that prevent systematic overtime. These structural interventions are essential to improve nurse retention and ensure the long-term sustainability of the nursing workforce.
trial registrationClinical trial number: not applicable.
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