{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,27]],"date-time":"2026-08-27T05:17:45Z","timestamp":1787807865165,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787616000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Nurs. Rep.","Nursing Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Although nurses\u2019 health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is critical for mitigating the growing intention to leave the profession, the association between nurse\u2013patient mutuality and nurses\u2019 HRQoL remains unexplored. Therefore, this study aims to examine the association between nurse\u2013patient mutuality and nurses\u2019 HRQoL. Methods: A cross-sectional, multicentre study was conducted across four tertiary hospitals in Italy. Data were collected from a sample of 726 nurses working in medical and surgical inpatient and outpatient wards. Mutuality was measured using the Nurse\u2013patient Mutuality in Chronic Illness scale, comprising three dimensions: developing and going beyond, being a point of reference, deciding and sharing care; HRQoL was assessed via the Short Form-12 Health Status Questionnaire (SF-12), providing Physical (PCS) and Mental (MCS) Component Summaries. Two multiple linear regression models were conducted to evaluate the impact of mutuality dimensions on HRQoL components. Results: Among the 726 participants, none of the three mutuality dimensions were significantly associated with physical HRQoL (PCS). Conversely, two mutuality dimensions were significantly and positively associated with higher MCS scores: developing and going beyond (B = 0.54, 95% CI [0.14, 0.95], p = 0.009) and being a point of reference (B = 0.38, 95% CI [0.09, 0.68], p = 0.010). However, the overall regression model demonstrated a modest explanatory value for MCS (R2 = 0.075). Among covariates, female sex (ref: male; B = \u22122.29, 95% CI [\u22124.10, \u22120.49], p = 0.013) and taking care of relatives (B = \u22122.07, 95% CI [\u22123.55, \u22120.60], p = 0.006) were associated with lower MCS, whereas older age (B = 0.17, 95% CI [0.01, 0.34], p = 0.039) was related to higher MCS. Regarding physical health (R2 = 0.261), having chronic conditions (B = \u22125.08, 95% CI [\u22126.48, \u22123.69], p &lt; 0.001), previous experience as a patient (B = \u22121.88, 95% CI [\u22123.07, \u22120.69], p = 0.002), and taking care of relatives (B = \u22121.49, 95% CI [\u22122.62, \u22120.36], p = 0.010) were significantly associated with lower PCS scores. Conclusions: The reciprocal nature of mutuality could be a potential relational resource for nurses\u2019 mental HRQoL. Healthcare organizations should prioritize structural frameworks and interventions that allow nurses the time and resources to cultivate these essential clinical connections.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/nursrep16090300","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]],"date-time":"2026-08-25T15:55:06Z","timestamp":1787673306000},"page":"300","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Nurse\u2013Patient Mutuality and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Nurses Caring for People with Chronic Illness: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-4912-8670","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Camilla","family":"Ripari","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome \u201cTor Vergata\u201d, 00133 Rome, Italy"},{"name":"School of Nursing, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, 20162 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Silvia","family":"Cilluffo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8860-4893","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Barbara","family":"Bassola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, 20162 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7736-6209","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rosario","family":"Caruso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Health Professions Research Unit and Evidence Transfer, IRCCS MultiMedica, 20099 Sesto San Giovanni, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0716-5663","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefano","family":"Terzoni","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Maura","family":"Lusignani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, 20162 Milan, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, 20133 Milan, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2021). 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