Early to Mid-Career Municipal Public Health Nurses Reflect on Balancing Work and Family Life after Taking Childcare Leave: A Study of Municipal Public Health Nurses

<p>Purpose: This study seeks to identify early to mid-career public health nurses’ views on balancing work and family life after taking childcare leave.</p><p>Methods: A total of 10 municipal public health nurses with 5 to 10 years of work experience, excluding the childcare leave period, were interviewed using a semi-structured interview method.</p><p>Results: A total of 12 categories were extracted from the interviews: 1) anxiety and confusion before and after returning to work, 2) recognition of job requirement changes, 3) recognition of the skills to be improved, 4) desire to learn and emotional conflict, 5) recognition of the need to modify work procedures, 6) perceived value of childcare experience in the workplace, 7) work motivation, responsibility, and pressure, 8) work satisfaction, 9) struggle to balance work and family life, 10) shifting gears between work and family life, 11) support from family and relatives, and 12) commitment to fostering a supportive post-childcare leave work environment.</p><p>Conclusion: After taking childcare leave, early to mid-career public health nurses were faced with the dilemma of not being able to adequately cope with the work entrusted to them and struggling with the challenge of balancing work and family life. However, they also reported finding ways to use their childcare experience to enhance their work and achieve greater satisfaction in their jobs.</p>