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Aims: To test the direct effects of different surface acting strategies and the interactive effects of surface acting and recovery experiences on nurses' well-being., Design: A two-wave study design., Methods: Chinese hospital nurses (N = 372; 47.3% of initial sample) reported on their levels of surface acting, recovery experiences and well-being using a paper and pencil survey in November 2017 and November 2018., Findings: Surface acting has long-term effects on nurses' well-being. Compared with positive expression, negative suppression generally tends to show more negative effects. Recovery experiences play a buffering role in the surface acting - nurses' well-being relationship., Conclusion: These findings offer initial evidence for long-term effects of surface acting and show how hospital nurses can avoid adverse effects of surface acting through fostering recovery experiences., Impact: Surface acting is a chronic stressor, having long-term effects on nurses' well-being. In contrast to positive expression, negative suppression has more detrimental impacts. Recovery experiences play a protective role by alleviating the adverse effects of surface acting. Managers and individuals are advised to differentiate distinct surface acting strategies. Managers should try best to facilitate employee recovery. Hospital nurses are well recommended to train themselves by adopting several recovery programmes., (© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)