Abstract
The aim of the current study was to clarify the factors that encouraged nurses to continue practicing in the field of pediatric nursing. We conducted semi-structured interviews with ten nurses in their 20s with 4 to 6 years of pediatric nursing experience. Analysis of the results, based on the Modified Grounded Theory Approach, identified 11 categories and 45 concepts. The 11 categories were as follows: overcoming practical difficulties, encouraging oneself to remain in the pediatric ward, exploring one's own way of getting along with child patients, feeling oneself recognized by child patients and their parents, becoming confident in performing challenging work, retaining one's composure in dealing with child patients and their parents, being fascinated by pediatric nursing once again, seeing oneself objectively to adapt to the situation, taking responsibility to protect child patients as a leading nurse, accepting new roles and tackling various problems, and being encouraged by communication with child patients. It was concluded that the motivation for nurses to continue practicing in the field of pediatric nursing was consistently supported by "being encouraged by communication with child patients".
