Journal List > J Korean Acad Nurs Adm > v.22(1) > 1051866

TOOLS
Jung and Cho Chung: Adaptation Process of Nurses Who Return to Work after Parental Leave
Original Article

Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Administration 2016; 22(1): 33-45.

Published online: 31 January 2016

DOI: https://doi.org/10.11111/jkana.2016.22.1.33

Adaptation Process of Nurses Who Return to Work after Parental Leave

Hyo Ju Jung1, Hyang-In Cho Chung2

1Department of Nursing, Dongshin University, Korea.

2College of Nursing, Chonnam National University, Korea.

Corresponding author: Cho Chung, Hyang-In. College of Nursing, Chonnam National University, 160 Baekseo-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju 61468, Korea. Tel: +82-62-530-4956, Fax: +82-62-220-4544, hchoch@hanmail.net

Received 2 November 2015       Revised 30 November 2015       Accepted 21 December 2015

Copyright © 2016 Korean Academy of Nursing Administration

(open-access):

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

This study was conducted to generate a grounded substantive theory of the adaptation process of nurses who return to work after taking parental leave.

Methods

Individual in-depth interviews with 13 participants were conducted between June and September 2014. Participants were interviewed 1~3 times; interviews were continued until the data became saturated. Data were analyzed using Strauss and Corbin's grounded theory method.

Results

The core category of experience of the process of adaptation as a nurse who returned to work after parental leave was 'trying to regain one's previous position'. Participants used five interactional strategies: 'preparing in advance', 'initiating relationships with colleagues', 'keeping a positive attitude', 'understanding parenting helpers', 'Taking burden off one's mind'.

Conclusion

The results of this study provide a theoretical basis for the adaptation process of nurses returning to work after taking parental leave. The importance of improving nurses' attitudes to their co-workers who take parental leave is highlighted along with the necessity of providing a family-friendly work environment. These results can be used to develop supportive policies and programs for nurses who return to their work after parental leave.

Keywords: Return to work, Nurses

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Paradigm model on adaptation process of nurses who returned to work after parental leave.

jkana-22-33-g001
Table 1

Dimensions, Categories and Sub-categories of the Adaptation Process of Nurses who Returned to Work after Parental Leave

jkana-22-33-i001

Notes

This article is a revision of the first author's doctoral dissertation from Chonnam National University.

References

1. Kang SJ, Kim SY. The relationship among nurses' parenting stress and turnover intention. J Korean Acad Nurs Adm. 2011; 17(4):508–515. DOI: 10.11111/jkana.2011.17.4.508.
2. Park YK, Yi JY, Lim SR, Jang HR, Kang HJ, Kim JS. Parenting stress, parenting guilt feelings, separation anxiety and alternative care in hospital-nurses. J Korea Contents Assoc. 2014; 14(7):302–311. DOI: 10.5392/jkca.2014.14.07.302.
3. Hospital Nurses Association. 2014 Annual Report. Seoul: Author;2014.
4. Lee GJ. Nurse career break survey and reemployment support business performance evaluation studies [Internet]. Seoul: Korean Nurses Association;2014. cited 2015 August 20. Available from: http://webzine.koreanurse.or.kr/Webzine2014/read_article.php?webzine_id=40&sub_cat_id=447&is_sub_no=694&article_id=939.
5. McMurtrie LJ, Cameron M, Oluanaigh P, Osborne YT. Keeping our nursing and midwifery workforce: Factors that support non-practising clinicians to return to practice. Nurse Educ Today. 2014; 34(5):761–765. DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2013.08.017.
6. Statistics Korea. Utilization of female employees parental leave in 2013 [Internet]. Daejeon: Author;2014. cited 2014, November 27. Available from: http://index.go.kr/potal/main/EachDtlPageDetail.do?idx_cd=3030.
7. Hospital Nurses Association. 2013 Annual Report. Seoul: Author;2014.
8. Park JH, Lee SG, Yun JH. Labor market analysis utilizing the employment insurance DB. Seoul: APRO;2013. p. 1–163.
9. Park HS, Kim KN, Kang EH, Lee JM, Park SM. Lived adaptation experience of new ICU nurses who are working in a newly established university hospital. J Korean Acad Fundam Nurs. 2011; 18(2):226–236.
10. Huang FF, Yang HH. The effects of nationality differences and work stressors on work adjustment for foreign nurse aides. BMC Health Serv Res. 2011; 11(1):192. DOI: 10.1186/1472-6963-11-192.
11. Baker M, Milligan K. How does job-protected maternity leave affect mother's employment? J Labor Econ. 2008; 26(4):656–691. DOI: 10.1086/591955.
12. Pronzato CD. Return to work after childbirth: Does parental leave matter in Europe? Rev Econ Househ. 2009; 7(4):341–360. DOI: 10.1007/s11150-009-9059-4.
13. Feldman R, Sussman AL, Zigler E. Parental leave and work adaptation at the transition to parenthood: Individual, marital, and social correlates. J Appl Dev Psychol. 2004; 25(4):459–479. DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2004.06.004.
14. Kim JH. Parental leave and female labor supply in Korea. KDI J Econ Policy. 2012; 3(1):169–197.
15. Kim JW. An empirical study on parental leave and job continuity among female workers. Soc Welf Policy. 2008; 33:239–260. DOI: 10.15855/swp.2008.33.239.
16. Strauss A, Corbin J. Basic of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory. 2nd ed. London, UK: Sage Publication, Inc;1998.
17. Guba EG, Lincoln YS. Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In : Densin NK, Lincoln YS, editors. Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage;1994. p. 105–117.
18. Byeon YS, Kim MY. Re-employment experience of nurses who have left the profession. J Korean Acad Nurs. 2008; 38(5):768–778. DOI: 10.4040/jkan.2008.38.5.768.
19. Lee SW, Kim MJ, Yun ES, Park JD. Re-employment adaptation experience of nurses. Qual Res. 2009; 10(1):39–50.
20. Kim SC, Cho MK, Seong JA, Ryu DS. An analysis of necessary competencies for the woman scientists and technicians to return and rapid adapt to the research site. Korean J Hum Resour Dev. 2014; 16(1):121–141.
21. Jang SY, Ahn SY. The development and effectiveness of the program to assist highly-educated reentry women to labor market. Andragog Today. 2007; 10(4):25–45.
22. Choi YS, Yoon HH, Lee YM. A study on the workplace adapation of middle-aged (re-)employed female workers. Research report. Seoul: KRIVET;2012. December. Report No.: 2012-52.
23. Jang SY. The qualitative research on the reentry process of highly-educated housewives to their job market. Women Stud. 2008; 74(1):79–104.
24. Choi S, Kim JH. Experiences of clinical nurses aged over 40 as shift workers. J Korean Acad Nurs Adm. 2014; 20(5):514–524. DOI: 10.11111/jkana.2014.20.5.514.
25. Chae HY, Lee KY. A qualitative study on men's experiences of work-life balance: focusing on men in dual-income families with children under the age of six. Fam Environ Res. 2013; 51(5):497–511. DOI: 10.6115/fer.2013.51.5.497.
26. Kim EK. The effect of marital relationship on the second childbirth intention. J Fam Relat. 2014; 18(4):199–217.
27. Choi JS. A grounded theory research on work-family role conflict: based on professional women with school aged children. Ment Health Soc Work. 2011; 39(12):214–247.
28. Nowak MJ, Naude M, Thomas G. Returning to work after maternity leave: Childcare and workplace flexibility. Korean J Ind Relat. 2013; 55(1):118–135. DOI: 10.1177/0022185612465530.
29. Son JH. Career experiences of highly educated professional women: Focusing on women with 5-10 career years. Korean J Couns. 2013; 14(1):501–522. DOI: 10.15703/kjc.14.1.201302.501.
30. Alstveit M, Severinsson E, Karlsen B. Readjusting one's life in the tension inherent in work and motherhood. J Adv Nurs. 2011; 67(10):2151–2160. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2011.05660.x.
TOOLS
Similar articles