Tímarit hjúkrunarfræðinga - 2023, Page 84

“The guilt of performing poorly in both places“. Nursing managers’ experience of return to work after maternity leave
The study aimed to deepen understanding and
increase knowledge of nursing managers’ experience
of return to work after maternity leave. About
98% of nurses in Iceland are women and a large
proportion of them are at the childbearing age. The
research question was “What are nursing managers’
experiences of re-entry after maternity leave?“.
Qualitative research based on the Vancouver
School of phenomenology was used in this study.
Two individual interviews were conducted with
10 female nursing managers who had been on
maternity leave in the years 2018–2021.
Factors that seem to counteract the tension
between work and family life are professional
support, fewer working hours, flexible working
hours, and the option to work temporarily at home.
The results strongly suggest that the support
of supervisors can have a decisive effect on the
intention and ability of nursing managers to return
to the same job after maternity leave. It is crucial
to systematically meet nursing managers need for
support after maternity leave in order to reduce
turnover.
Aim
Results
ENGLISH SUMMARY
Method
Nurse administrators, return to work, maternity
leave, organizational support, work-life balance.
Correspondent:
alma@solvangur.is
Conclusion
Keywords
Vignisdottir, A. R., Karlsdottir, S. I., Gunnarsdottir, S.
“The guilt of performing poorly in both places“ is
the main finding and describes self-criticism as
well as the tension that many of the managers felt
between work and family life. There were four main
themes: Reflective maternity leave, which described
the cognitive processes and the connection with
the workplace during maternity leave; Restoring the
role, which described the experience of stepping
back into a changed work environment and going
through the stress that came with securing and
relying on childcare; Difficulties of re-entry, which
described the stress of understaffing and unrealistic
demands; Successful re-entry, which described
personal qualities of the managers as well as
aspects in the working environment that proved
to be supportive. The need for support varied
between individuals and depended on the work
environment, family circumstances, management
experience, and personal qualities. Positive attitude
from colleagues, supervisors’ support, the ability
to set boundaries, intrinsic motivation, and work
experience contributed to a successful return.
“The guilt of performing poorly in both
places“. Nursing managers' experience of
return to work after maternity leave