Driving Forces for Short-Time Nurses to Work

Abstract

Purpose: To determine what is the driving force that makes it possible to continue working for nurses who use the short-time regular employee system to enable them to take care of their children.

Method: Eleven nurses working short-time shifts at a hospital with more than 200 beds in the Tokai area were selected as subjects, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with them and examined using qualitative inductive analysis.

Results: Five categories were extracted as the driving forces for nurses to work short-time hours: “The consciousness of oneself as being a nurse remains unchanged even if working short-time hours,” “The feeling that one is being seen as a useful and necessary person in the workplace,” “The presence of people around one who have a positive and encouraging attitude toward working short-time hours,” “Workplace environment that supports a fulfilling of work-life balance,” and “A stable salary system that allows you to maintain your livelihood.”

Conclusion: The driving forces for short-time nurses to work were found to be professional autonomy, self-esteem derived from having relationships with other people, an environment that makes it possible to attain a work-life balance, and a stable salary system that allows you to maintain your livelihood.