Parenting Stress and Nurse Workforce Sustainability: An Integrative Literature Review

Keywords

nurse, workforce sustainability, nurse retention, nurse turnover, integrative literature review, nurse support, parental leave, nursing ethics, nursing policy, nursing research, healthy work environment, nurse wellbeing, nursing workforce, nurse-mother, nurse-father, nurse-parent, double-duty caregiver, triple duty caregiver, caregiving, parenting, parenting stress

Abstract

Background

Parenting stress among clinical nurses has been associated with turnover-related outcomes. For many nurses, critical periods of career development and accumulated clinical responsibility overlap with reproductive and early parenting years. Features of nursing work may shape parenting stress through demands related to scheduling, workload, and limited flexibility.

Design

Integrative literature review.

Methods

An integrative literature review was conducted following the methodological framework of Whittemore and Knafl. The final searches across three databases (CINAHL Complete, Medline, and Embase) were completed on May 14, 2026. Eligible articles were published in English, addressed parenting stress, and, when empirical, included nurses as a distinct population. Reporting followed PRISMA guidelines.

Results

Eight articles met all inclusion criteria. Countries of origin included South Korea, Turkey, and China. Approximately 1667 nurse-parent participants were represented across the included studies. Main themes included as follows: (1) Work-Family Role Conflict and Parenting Stress, (2) Parenting Stress Across Career and Family Life Stages, (3) Parenting Stress and Nurse Workforce Outcomes, and (4) Organizational and Structural Contributors to Parenting Stress.

Conclusion

Parenting stress appears to be a relevant nursing workforce issue shaped by structural conditions of practice. The structure and demands of patient care may intensify parenting stress. Additional research is needed to examine the effects of parenting stress in clinical nurses and the implications for nurse retention.

Implications

Organizational and policy-level interventions (including family-friendly scheduling, accessible childcare, and structured peer support programs) may support workforce sustainability among nurse-parents.

Original Publication Citation

Watson, A. L., Nelson, B., & Houston, G. (2026). Parenting Stress in nursing and workforce sustainability: An integrative review. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 58(4), e70104. https://doi.org/10.1111/jnu.70104

Document Type

Peer-Reviewed Article

Publication Date

2026-06-15

Publisher

Journal of Nursing Scholarship

Language

English

College

Nursing

University Standing at Time of Publication

Assistant Professor

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