Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42157502›Full record

SynthesisJournal of nursing management2026

Factors Influencing Nurses' Work-Life Balance: A Systematic Review of Challenges, Opportunities and Strategic Solutions for Healthcare Practice and Policy.

Ningshan Yang, Yu Xuan Ng, Chen Xing Yeoh Lui, Brigitte Fong Yeong Woo, Sok Ying Liaw

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of nursing management, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Ningshan YangAlice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, nus.edu.sg.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-6963-003X
Yu Xuan NgDepartment of Nursing, Alexandra Hospital, Singapore, ah.com.sg.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3860-821X
Chen Xing Yeoh LuiAlice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, nus.edu.sg.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5271-5591
Brigitte Fong Yeong WooAlice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, nus.edu.sg.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2988-2169
Sok Ying LiawAlice Lee Centre for Nursing Studies, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, nus.edu.sg.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8326-4049

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo consolidate existing evidence on the factors affecting nurses' work-life balance.

backgroundWork-life balance is an emerging concept among many professions, including nursing. Given the global nursing shortage and high demand for nurses, more attention should be placed on understanding the factors affecting nurses' work-life balance. Better measures can hence be created to improve nurses' work-life balance.

methodsSix databases (PubMed, Excerpta Medica Database, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycINFO and Scopus and Web of Science) were searched from inception up to February 2024. A grey literature search and screening of reference lists of relevant papers were also conducted. Identified studies were screened against the eligibility criteria, including population, outcome and type of study. The screening, appraisal and data extraction of the eligible papers were done independently by two reviewers. Available evidence was then synthesised using a convergent integrated approach.

resultsTwenty-one quantitative studies and one qualitative study were included. Six themes on factors affecting nurses' work-life balance were derived: (1) sociodemographic characteristics, such as age, gender, income status and marital status, (2) personal life, including family support and social life, (3) job control, with emphasis on control over working hours, (4) job demand, encompassing both physical and psychological impacts, (5) work schedule, with highlight on frequent night shifts and shift changes and (6) working environment, including work culture and settings. DISCUSSION: As evident from this review, work-life balance is a multifactorial concept. Nurses, nurse leaders and healthcare organisations have the shared responsibility of ensuring that nurses have an improved work-life balance. Understanding the different factors affecting nurses' work-life balance can allow these stakeholders to take steps towards improving nurses' work-life balance, which in turn result in better clinical outcomes. However, it should be considered that the evidence gathered in this study might not provide a complete overview of the factors affecting nurses' work-life balance due to the complexities of the topic. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND/OR HEALTH POLICY: This review provides insight into the factors affecting the work-life balance of nurses and emphasises the need for the involved stakeholders to create strategies including safe-care interventions, flexible working hours and family-friendly policies to enhance nurses' work-life balance.

Indexed as

NursesWork-Life BalanceHumansJob SatisfactionQualitative ResearchWorking ConditionsWorkplaceWork Schedule Tolerancejob controljob demandnursesshift worksystematic reviewwork–life balance

Identifiers

PMID42157502
PMCPMC13189454

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.