Being a mother as a healthcare professional in the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

Yıl 2023, , 126 - 134, 31.01.2023

Nesibe Gunay Molu Sadiye Sert Neslihan Durmusoglu Saltalı

https://doi.org/10.5472/marumj.1244379

Öz

Objective: The aim of this research was to determine the changes in relationships between healthcare professional mothers and their
preschool-aged children during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In addition, the second objective of this study
was to propose a new phenomenon that explains “being a mother as a healthcare professional” during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and Methods: The participants of the research were 16 healthcare professional mothers (8 doctors and 8 nurses) who had
worked in intensive care units during the COVID-19 pandemic and had a preschool-aged child. The research was conducted in
accordance with the phenomenological approach, one of the qualitative research designs. The research data were obtained through
face-to-face interviews between the researchers and the participants using half-structured interview forms prepared by the researchers.
Colaizzi’s 7-step method was used for evaluation of the data.
Results: According to the research findings, the phenomenon of “being a mother as a healthcare professional” was gathered under
four main themes: emotional reactions, new normal in life, difficulties that pandemic brought in life and coping strategies with these
difficulties.
Conclusion: The findings showed that the COVID-19 pandemic caused many changes in the lives of healthcare professional mothers
and their children; these mothers and children built some emotional reactions, and they developed various strategies to overcome
these emotional reactions.

Anahtar Kelimeler

Pandemic, Mother-child relation, Healthcare professional, Preschool-aged children

Kaynakça

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