The Relationships and Mediating Effects of Work-Life Factors on Acute and Chronic Fatigue Among Nurses.

BACKGROUND: Fatigue is a prevalent occupational health concern among nurses. Inadequate recovery from acute fatigue may contribute to persistent fatigue, while work-related and life-related factors may influence this process. AIM: To examine factors associated with chronic fatigue and the mediating roles of life-related factors in the association between acute and chronic fatigue among Taiwanese nurses. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 322 clinical nurses were recruited through online forums and social media groups and completed a web-based questionnaire assessing sociodemographic characteristics, work-related factors, health-promoting lifestyle behaviors, and occupational fatigue. Analysis of variance, Pearson's correlation, hierarchical multiple regression, and partial least squares structural equation modeling with bootstrapping were used. FINDINGS: Acute fatigue was strongly correlated with chronic fatigue (r = 0.70), whereas intershift recovery was negatively correlated with chronic fatigue (r = -0.58). The addition of intershift recovery significantly increased the explained variance in chronic fatigue by 2.0% beyond acute fatigue and work-related factors. Life-related factors further increased the explained variance by 2.6%, while intershift recovery remained negatively associated with chronic fatigue in the adjusted model (β = -0.19, p < 0.001). Mediation analysis further showed significant indirect associations through interpersonal support and stress management, whereas the indirect effect through physical activity was not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Acute fatigue is strongly associated with chronic fatigue, while adequate intershift recovery and psychosocial and lifestyle-related factors may be important in limiting fatigue accumulation. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: Nurse managers should support adequate recovery between shifts, manage psychological work demands, and strengthen interpersonal support and stress-management resources to reduce persistent fatigue and promote nurses' long-term well-being.