Using a lens of precarity theory and a biocultural approach, this dissertation seeks to examine the nursing occupation within multiple levels of sociohistorical context, from industry to profession to worksite to individual nurses’ bodies. It offers a model, the Cycle of Precarious Employment (COPE), as a tool to understand and potentially improve the nurses’ work environment. Aiming to validate this biocultural model, I used a cross-sectional sample of nurses from Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia to evaluate the support, breaks, hours, and positions that may be impacting the nursing workforce. I assessed the sample’s circadian rhythms by detailing disparities in sleep, diet, and physical activity patterns. My study explored the links between these disrupted rhythms and cardiometabolic disease risk and gut microbiome (GM) composition. I ultimately observed associations between evidence of precarious work conditions, circadian rhythm disruption, worsened cardiometabolic disease risk indicators, and differential GM composition. These findings identify critical connections between work environments, circadian rhythms, health, and microbiome profiles, suggesting that employment instability may contribute to downstream increased disease risk. This work further contributes to biocultural theory by expanding our understanding of work environment embodiment, offering new insights for nursing researchers interested in improving the nursing work environment and for microbiome scientists exploring environmental influences on gut microbiomes. The COPE model may serve as a framework for future research to assess health and wellness in other high-stress occupations, potentially leading to interventions that mitigate the health impacts of labor instability.