Aim To investigate whether affective organizational commitment (AOC) among nursing home employees is enhanced by a health-promoting work environment, conceptualized as high levels of job resources, work-related sense of coherence (work-SOC) and low levels of job demands. Design This study used a longitudinal design. Survey data were collected with a 1-year interval between 2015/2016-2016/2017 among nursing home employees in Norway. Methods Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the longitudinal data (N = 166) and cross-sectional data from the first time point (N = 558). Results The results supported that work-SOC was strongly and positively related to AOC. Job resources and job demands were positively and negatively related, respectively, to work-SOC but were not related to future AOC. The indirect effects of autonomy and supervisor support on AOC, via work-SOC, were significant. The indirect effects regarding social community at work, emotional demands and role conflict were unclear.