Challenges faced by working mothers regarding maintaining young children: A phenomenological qualitative study

The aim of this study was to investigate the challenges faced by working mothers regarding maintaining young children. The study was qualitative and with a phenomenological approach. The study population was working mothers with young children in the medical staff of Ali Akbar Hospital in Mashhad in 2021. Interviewees were selected by purposive sampling method and sampling was continued until data saturation and was completed by interviewing 9 participants. The data were obtained through unstructured and deep interviews and analyzed by the Colaizzi method. Findings were categorized into 5 main themes “Problems relating to different maintenance methods, problems relating to children's disease, guilt feeling, the necessity for having a supporting person, and occupational problems”. According to the research findings, working women, after being a mother, faced many problems and challenges regarding maintaining young children. Since women and mothers are an important part of our society, not solving their problems and concerns can deprive society of using these valuable human resources, especially in important and sensitive jobs such as medical staff. Therefore, in order to improve the quality of their job and motherhood, it is necessary to pay more attention and provide measures to reduce these concerns.