Aim This study aimed to interpretively explore the life adjustment processes of second‐ and third‐year nurses engaged in shift work under a health self‐management program, focusing on the integration of professional adaptation and well‐being. Methods Seven nurses in their second or third year of clinical practice participated in a program utilizing Ryodoraku biofeedback. Data from interviews were analyzed using the Steps for Coding and Theorization method. Results The adjustment process was conceptualized into three overarching themes: (1) navigating physiological limits and autonomous health regulation, where nurses utilized biofeedback to bridge the gap between subjective fatigue and physiological reality; (2) emotional dissonance and the struggle for agency, involving the negotiation of workplace demands; and (3) integrating professional growth and personal revitalization, where health management became a strategy for professional identity formation. Conclusion The use of visual biofeedback served as a catalyst for participants to reflect on and transition toward proactive self‐regulation, instead of passive endurance. The findings suggest that supporting early‐career nurses requires not only rest but also tools to visualize physiological states and organizational support to foster professional agency, linking health management directly to career sustainability.
Akiko Nagata (Thu,) studied this question.