Objective: The purpose of this study was to clarify the nursing support required to build trust with mothers who are difficult to relate to, to build relationships.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten public health nurses (PHNs) with ten or more years of practical experience in child abuse prevention, and the data were analyzed qualitatively.

Result: We found that PHNs’ support and the process of building trustful relationships were explained through 9 categories and 39 sub-categories. These were: “Focus on the first encounter with the mother,” “Providing support to mothers in every step,” “Providing useful care in mothers’ daily lives,” “A role model for the mothers,” “sympathetic to the difficulty of their lives,” “Showing determination to never abandon them,” “Increase their self-esteem,” “Expand support connections for mothers and children,” and “providing support to reduce the difficulties of mothers in their daily lives.”

Discussion: PHNs determined the crux of the mothers’ difficulty in life by providing tension-relieving protective activities and providing support for mothers. Continuing these support made relationship building with mothers easier. We believe that it is necessary to be sympathetic to the mothers, which is the basis of building a relationship of trust.