Work Stress in Nurses Returning To Tertiary A General Hospitals in China After The Delivery of Their Second Child: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Objective To investigate the current situation of work stress in nurses returning to work in Chinese tertiary A general hospitals after giving birth to their second child and to analyze influencing factors. Methods From January to April 2021, 448 nurses returning to work after the birth of their second child, working in 23 general hospitals in China, were investigated and completed the postpartum work stress scale and self-rating depression scale. Results The total work stress score of returning nurses after giving birth to their second child was 90.40±18.29, and the dimension with the highest score was the role commitment of the mother. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that family monthly income, turnover intention, time since returning to work, age of the first child, and depression were the influencing factors on job stress. Conclusion The work stress of nurses returning to work in China’s tertiary A general hospitals after the birth of their second child is in the upper-middle range. Nursing managers should pay attention to this group of postpartum nurses and formulate targeted measures to reduce their work stress.

Development and psychometric properties of a perceived social support scale for nurses returning to work after childbirth

“…When these nurses return after maternity leave, they often face challenges adjusting back into their roles such as con icts between work and family responsibilities, inability to adapt quickly to clinical knowledge updates or work ow changes, di culties coping with high-pressure working environments, fear of making mistakes, and so on [32] . Consequently, the NRWCs experience elevated work pressure leading to higher rates of attrition [5] .…”

“…NRWCs face speci c challenges, including work-related stress, time con icts, and breastfeeding di culties due to the unique nature of nursing in hospitals [5] . Studies have shown that support in many aspects is imperative for nurses to overcome these obstacles and adjust to clinical [6,7] .…”