Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To understand the experiences of self-regulation and health-promoting behaviours among practising nurses in Singapore. QUALITATIVE: To explore the experiences of self-regulating health-promoting behaviours among nurses. QUANTITATIVE: To measure the nurses' current health-promoting behaviours and perceived stress levels. BACKGROUND: Nursing is a physically and emotionally stressful occupation. While there is existing literature on the influencing factors of self-care habits among nurses, little is known about the nurses' self-regulation facilitators and barriers of maintaining a healthier lifestyle. METHODS: A concurrent mixed-method study was conducted. Twenty-four full-time nurses from 15 Singapore healthcare institutions were recruited from August to November 2023 using purposive sampling. In-depth interviews were conducted online through face-to-face virtual platforms using a semistructured interview guide. Thematic analysis was used to identify patterns and themes. Concurrently, 67 full-time nurses completed questionnaires on their lifestyles and perceived stress. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and limited statistical analysis and integrated with the qualitative study findings. RESULTS: Five themes and 13 subthemes emerged. The five themes were (1) conflict between nursing and personal identity; (2) overwhelmed with time constraints; (3) power of intrinsic motivation over extrinsic incentives; (4) influence of close contacts at workplace on nurses' lifestyle and (5) inadequate support for positive lifestyle change. The mean scores for the Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II and Perceived Stress Scale-10 were 2.39 (SD = 0.38) and 18.39 (SD = 4.58), respectively, indicating that most of the participants had poor lifestyles and were experiencing moderate stress. Additionally, there was a moderate statistically significant negative relationship between perceived stress and health-promoting lifestyle behaviours (ρ = -0.461). CONCLUSION: Nurses' healthy lifestyle challenges may stem from inadequate organisational support and low personal health prioritisation. Sustainable interventions should address workplace culture and work-life integration to empower nurses to take ownership of their well-being.