The Relationship Between Commuting Stress and Nurses’ Well-Being: Considering Gender Differences

Aim: This research explores how and why commuting stress influences Chinese nurses’ well-being.

Background: A daily work commute may result in a significant psychological risk factor that can lead to harmful physiological and mental health consequences. Emerging research indicates that nurses experience long-lasting negative effects on their mental health, including burnout, due to the stress of a daily work commute.

Methods: The study employed a cross-sectional design involving 380 registered nurses from state-owned hospitals in southern China. Hypotheses were tested using the PROCESS macro developed by Hayes [1].

Results: The stress of commuting indirectly influences nurses’ well-being through increased emotional exhaustion. There is an interaction between commuting stress and nurses’ gender such that the indirect effect of commuting stress on well-being is stronger for female nurses.

Conclusions: The spillover effect of commuting stress in the nursing profession is often underestimated. However, this study underscores its significant impact on nurses’ emotional exhaustion and well-being. The research findings emphasize that commuting stress contributes to emotional exhaustion and a decline in nurses’ well-being.

Implications for Nursing Management: Healthcare organizations should leverage these findings to reinforce the importance of self-care for nurses and to provide nurses with resources to help decrease the potential negative outcomes of commuting stress. The study also shows that female nurses may experience a more pronounced association between commuting stress and emotional exhaustion. As such, healthcare organizations should develop gender-specific interventions and support systems that address the unique challenges faced by female nurses in relation to commuting stress.