A Longitudinal Study of Nurses’ Work-Life Balance: a Case of a Regional Teaching Hospital in Taiwan

Work-life balance is essential for nurses who are in direct contact with patients in healthcare organizations. This study employs the measurement of nurses’ behaviors rather than the measurement of their perceptions to identify critical demographic variables influencing the work-life balance. A work-life balance dimension measured by a four-point frequency scale from the Chinese version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire is used to assess nurses’ behaviors in practice from a longitudinal viewpoint based on a regional teaching hospital in Taiwan. The results show that experience in organization, respondents reporting events in the past 12 months, and experience in position are three critical factors to impact nurses’ work-life balance. Moreover, “work all day without break,” “change the individual or family plan because of the work,” and “work overtime” are the most critical questions in the work-life balance that can be the targets for hospital management to enhance the balance of nurses’ work-life conditions in the hospital.