Background <p>Night-shift work is a crucial component of nursing but is associated with significant fatigue, which may impact both nurse well-being and patient safety. Understanding the levels of fatigue and the coping strategies employed by nurses can help develop effective interventions. This study aimed to assess the fatigue levels of Chinese night-shift nurses and explore commonly used anti-fatigue strategies.</p> Methods <p>A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zhejiang Province, China, using the Occupational Fatigue Exhaustion/Recovery Scale (OFER) questionnaire. The survey assessed acute and chronic fatigue levels, fatigue recovery, and anti-fatigue strategies among nurses. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 26.0.</p> Results <p>Among the 371 valid responses, chronic fatigue levels (66.41 ± 24.17) were higher than acute fatigue levels (57.31 ± 15.61). Nurses with higher education levels reported lower acute fatigue, while older, more experienced nurses and those working in higher-grade hospitals had lower chronic fatigue. Common coping strategies included naps (63.88%) and stimulant consumption (54.72%), with coffee (45.37%) and milk tea (23.28%) being the most popular drinks.</p> Conclusion <p>Our findings indicate that Chinese night-shift nurses experience substantial fatigue, especially chronic fatigue, which is influenced by factors including education, age, clinical experience, exercise frequency, and hospital grade. Although personal coping strategies are common, they fall short in mitigating fatigue, underscoring the need for comprehensive interventions that combine individual and organizational measures.</p> Clinical trial number <p>not applicable.</p>