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To demonstrate, through an integrative theoretical synthesis, how fully paid parental leave functions as a boundary-management strategy that enhances nurse well-being and retention; thereby supporting sustainable workforce capacity.
Discursive paper.
Directed literature synthesis (2010–2025) across nursing, organisational psychology, labour economics and health-policy databases; thematic mapping of findings to organisational support theory, ethics-of-care theory and role theory; cross-case comparison of four national leave frameworks.
Paid, discretionary leave raises perceived organisational support and predicts lower turnover intention. Leave is framed as moral reciprocity and restores both relational energy and capacity for job satisfaction. Extended, clearly sign-posted leave reduces time- and strain-based work–family conflict, enabling role enrichment on return. Implementation rests on four structural interventions: leadership endorsement, streamlined processes, guaranteed staffing back-fill and phased return-to-work options.
Paid parental leave is a strategic, theory-grounded intervention that safeguards nurses' dual identities, amplifies organisational commitment and ultimately fortifies patient care quality.
Embedding usable, fully paid leave normalises caregiving, reduces burnout triggers and stabilises staffing to promote nurse retention, continuity of care and positive patient outcomes.
What problem did the study address? Global nurse turnover driven by unmanageable work–family conflict and inadequate leave usability.
What were the main findings? Generous, well-implemented leave improves perceived support, relational energy and retention; four structural interventions maximize the benefits of paid parental leave for nurse-parents, patients, organizations, and the nursing workforce.
Where and on whom will the research have an impact? Onurse leaders, HR policymakers and health-system executives striving to stem workforce attrition and on patient populations reliant on stable, experienced nursing teams.
None (discursive).
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct or reporting.
The purpose of this study was to explore undergraduate nursing students' lived experiences with secondary traumatic stress.
The design was an interpretivist, hermeneutic-phenomenological approach. Data collection took place in the United States from September through November of 2024. Undergraduate nursing students who scored ≥ 38 (moderate, high, or severe) on the Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale were purposively recruited for face-to-face interviews with biometric and audiovisual recordings. Data analysis followed an iterative, inductive approach using principles from Heidegger's hermeneutic approach and Benner's interpretive framework for nursing.
Four main themes emerged from the data, illuminating student lived experiences on (1) How an Event Becomes ‘Traumatic,’ (2) Maladaptive or Ineffective Coping in Response to an Event, (3) Nursing Culture as a Conduit for Secondary Traumatic Stress and (4) The Student Journey Toward Effective Coping.
Findings revealed largely unaddressed secondary traumatic stress in undergraduate nursing students, a hidden driver of burnout and early exit from the profession. During synthesis, a four-step cascade emerged: (1) an emotionally charged event, (2) experiencing distorted thoughts, (3) symptoms of physiological arousal and (4) demonstrated behavioural avoidance, intensified by an underlying professional expectation of stoicism. Although students reported using relational, spiritual, cognitive and physical coping tools, these strategies alone rarely interrupted the cascade.
Three educational imperatives follow: (1) embed explicit secondary traumatic stress literacy in educational modules, (2) normalise brief peer/faculty debriefings and (3) train preceptors to frame vulnerability as a form of competence. Trauma-informed pedagogy built on these steps can foster integrated (rather than sustained) trauma, curb attrition and help secure the future nursing workforce.
Undergraduate nursing students frequently experience secondary traumatic stress during clinical training, yet curricula and clinical cultures provide little explicit preparation or support. This gap accelerates burnout and early departure from the profession, worsening nurse shortages and threatening patient safety.
The study uncovered a four-step STS cascade: a clinical event led to distorted thoughts, which resulted in physiological arousal and produced behavioural avoidance (amplified by the hidden curriculum of stoicism misinterpreted as professional resilience). Students improvised multi-layered coping toolkits, but these alone were perceived as insufficient. Targeted, real-time interventions can interrupt the cascade and transform distress into manageable, integrated memories.
The research will influence educators, clinical mentors, and health-system managers who shape the day-to-day experiences of nursing students and new graduates, with ripple effects for patient safety and workforce sustainability across comparable healthcare contexts worldwide.
SRQR.
This study did not include patient or public involvement in its design, conduct, or reporting.
Phenomenology is essential for researchers exploring human experience. To apply it rigorously, an understanding of its philosophical foundations is needed. This discussion outlines the key distinctions between interpretive and descriptive phenomenology to illustrate philosophical and methodological implications. Nursing researchers seeking to either uncover universal essences or interpret deeper, contextually situated meanings in lived experiences may find this discussion instructive.
Phenomenology examines lived experiences, focusing on interpretation and meaning. The question of understanding follows either an epistemological (descriptive) or ontological (interpretive) line of questioning. Husserl's descriptive approach seeks to objectively capture the essence of experiences through bracketing, while Heidegger's interpretive approach emphasises co-constructed meaning, shaped by researcher and participant.
In phenomenological studies, researchers use various qualitative data types to uncover the essence of participants' lived experiences. Common methods include in-depth interviews, focus groups, and written narratives, along with artefacts like photographs or journals, and audio-visual materials that capture personal reflections. Researchers may also use observations, field notes, and digital content, ensuring a comprehensive view of participants' perceptions and emotions.
Descriptive phenomenology values authenticity through emphasis on objectivity, using methods like Giorgi's analysis, while interpretive phenomenology values co-creation of meaning, employing Heidegger's hermeneutic circle for deeper contextual meaning. The choice of approach depends on the research aims.
Descriptive phenomenology helps identify universal themes in patient care, whereas interpretive phenomenology uncovers significant subtle meanings in complex experiences. Nursing researchers should select approaches aligned with their study objectives.
Both methodologies offer valuable insights into nursing research. A clear understanding of their foundations helps researchers choose methods that best suit their research goals.
FreshRSS 