Factors influencing the adjustment of pregnant nurses in continuing to provide nursing care: a qualitative content analysis

Résumé fourni par la source

BACKGROUND: Nursing is a high-stress profession frequently marked by demanding workplace conditions. Pregnant nurses, in particular, face heightened pressure to balance work and family responsibilities while maintaining their professional obligations throughout pregnancy. Adjusting to the physical, emotional, and occupational challenges of pregnancy is a complex process with important implications for both maternal well-being and fetal development. This study aims to explore the factors that influence how pregnant nurses adjust to continuing to deliver nursing care during this critical period. METHODS: This study utilized the qualitative content analysis method proposed by Graneheim and Lundman. Eighteen participants were selected between May 2023 and August 2024 from healthcare centers affiliated with Semnan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, including fourteen pregnant nurses and four nursing managers (two head nurses and two supervisors). Based on the study's central research question, data collection tools included in-depth semi-structured interviews, field observations, and field notes. To ensure rich and comprehensive data, the study aimed to achieve maximum variation in age, educational level, work departments, and different stages of pregnancy. Data management was conducted using MAXQDA software, version 2020. RESULTS: Data analysis yielded three themes, including "Health Concerns," "Thoughts and Past Experiences," and "Workplace Tensions in the Nursing Profession," comprising seven categories and twenty-two subcategories. CONCLUSION: Pregnant nurses' adjustment is influenced not only by pregnancy-related factors such as workplace conditions, fetal health, and the physical and mental well-being of the mother, but also by past personal experiences. Identifying and understanding the factors affecting pregnant nurses' adjustment and designing a mandatory training for all managers on Iranian pregnancy labor laws enables nursing managers to reduce occupational stressors. These programs could be directed toward creating a system of non-reciprocal behaviors, voluntary shift swaps for pregnant staff, and the reassignment of high-risk nurses with physical and psychological problems. Such initiatives may improve nurses' adjustment during pregnancy, the quality of patient care, and the health of both mother and fetus.

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