Buying Time: Maternity Leave Policies and Critical Care Nurses’ Return to Work

Keywords

nurse, nursing, nurse-mother, matrescence, maternity, paid leave, parental leave, peripartum, nursing workforce, breastfeeding, working mother, nursing ethics, nursing policy, organizational ethics

Abstract

Background: The nursing profession faces critical workforce shortages, intensified by high attrition linked to burnout and inadequate family supports. In the United States, maternity leave remains short and often unpaid, forcing premature returns to work that undermine health, family bonding, and career longevity. Although previous studies have quantified these outcomes, few have captured the moral distress and role strain experienced by nurse-mothers.

Objective: To explore the lived experiences of nurse-mothers navigating maternity leave transitions within critical care settings.

Methods: This study was guided by interpretive phenomenology. Purposive sampling was used to enroll 54 US critical care nurses in the study. Semistructured audiovisual interviews conducted between April and August 2024 were transcribed and analyzed using the hermeneutic circle.

Results: The analysis yielded 4 themes: (1) paid time off supplementation for maternity leave; (2) national responsibility in addressing unpaid, underpaid, and brief leave; (3) critical care nurses’ need for more time; and (4) the need for additional support and adaptive policies.

Conclusions: For critical care nurses, maternity leave often becomes a moral and existential dilemma shaped by time scarcity and financial strain, contributing to burnout and attrition. Evidence-based strategies to address the problem include front-loading paid leave, phased return-to-work options, and guaranteed lactation coverage. Aligning US policy with international standards regarding extended paid leave could promote retention, enhance staffing flexibility, and protect the quality of patient care.

Original Publication Citation

Watson, A. L., *Tapp, D., Young, C., **Holyoak, S., **Houston, G., **Nelson, B., **Wood, A., **Marquez, G., (2026). Buying Time: Maternity Leave Policies & Critical Care Nurse Return-to-Work. American Journal of Critical Care, 35(2), 128-144. https://doi.org/10.4037/ajcc2026269

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2026-03-01

Publisher

American Journal of Critical Care

Language

English

College

Nursing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Assistant Professor

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