A paradigm shift is occurring in the definition of health and therefore also in the determinants of health. Social determinants of health, considered by many to be the premises of good health and a purposeful life, are now the focus of attention in determinants of health. These determinants of health bring attention to the conditions in which people are born and live and work. This article proposes that indicators of healthy work environments in nursing can be identified as determinants of health. Study findings from around the world confirm that the health and well-being of nurses and their patients is related to nurses ‘work and work environments. Therefore, the working lives of nurses should be identified as an inseparable part of their personal lives, leading to consideration of work environments and thereby the quality of nurse's work lives as determinants of health in the 21st century.
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