LAUSR

AIMS To examine the longitudinal effects of individual characteristics on the change pattern of insomnia and the association of occupational stress with insomnia over time in newly graduated nurses. BACKGROUND The association between individual factors and insomnia in nurses is inconclusive. Longitudinal research on insomnia in newly graduated nurses is limited. METHODS This prospective longitudinal study included 200 participants generating 800 observations of insomnia severity during their first year of nursing. We employed growth mixture modeling for data analyses. Both time-varying covariate (occupational stress) and time-invariant covariates (nurses' characteristics) were entered into the model simultaneously. RESULTS Nurses had a homogeneous insomnia trajectory during the whole year of survey. The educational level significantly predicted the growth rate of insomnia severity among nurses. Occupational stress at each time point was significantly associated with worse insomnia across time points (all p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Nurses with a baccalaureate degree were more resilient to the development of severe insomnia. Additional studies should investigate the reason for the effects of the educational level on the pattern of insomnia. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT Considering nurses' occupational stress and educational level would to lead more effective management of stress and insomnia in newly graduated nurses.