Department of Psychological Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Atrium Health, Charlotte, North Carolina.
Breastfeed Med. 2020 Apr;15(4):268-276. doi: 10.1089/bfm.2019.0219. Epub 2020 Feb 19.
The percentage of working women with children under the age of 3 has nearly doubled since the 1970s, elevating the importance of understanding and improving workplace lactation support. This study aimed to examine employee perceptions of and experiences with workplace lactation support within a single health care system. We used a socioecological approach and included the views of a broad range of employees with and without lactation experience to capture diverse perspectives at multiple levels. Employees were recruited from an integrated health care system in the southeastern United States. Five focus groups were conducted during June to August 2017. Transcripts were analyzed using qualitative content analysis, with key themes organized at four levels of analysis: individual, interpersonal, departmental, and organizational. Thirty-five clinical and nonclinical employees participated. Employees shared varied perspectives on workplace lactation support, which emphasized the: (1) importance of having a lactation policy, (2) critical role of leadership in setting the tone for workplace lactation, and (3) differential experience between clinical and non-clinical lactating employees. Employee experiences with lactation support in the health care setting are influenced by individual, interpersonal, departmental, and organizational factors that must be considered in the design of effective workplace lactation support programs. Policies and programs that align with organizational values and accommodate the needs of employees in varying roles are recommended. By using a socioecological perspective, this study identifies practical strategies for implementing, improving, and sustaining workplace lactation support across multiple levels of a large health care organization.
自 20 世纪 70 年代以来，有孩子在 3 岁以下的在职女性比例几乎翻了一番，这使得人们更加重视理解和改善工作场所的母乳喂养支持。本研究旨在考察单一医疗保健系统内员工对工作场所母乳喂养支持的看法和体验。我们使用社会生态学方法，纳入了具有和不具有母乳喂养经验的广泛员工的观点，从多个层面捕捉不同的观点。员工是从美国东南部的一个综合医疗保健系统中招募的。2017 年 6 月至 8 月期间进行了五次焦点小组讨论。使用定性内容分析法对转录本进行分析，主要主题在四个分析层面进行组织：个人、人际、部门和组织。35 名临床和非临床员工参与了研究。员工对工作场所母乳喂养支持的看法各不相同，强调了：（1）制定母乳喂养政策的重要性，（2）领导在为工作场所母乳喂养设定基调方面的关键作用，以及（3）临床和非临床母乳喂养员工之间的不同体验。医疗保健环境中员工的母乳喂养支持体验受到个人、人际、部门和组织因素的影响，在设计有效的工作场所母乳喂养支持计划时必须考虑这些因素。建议制定与组织价值观一致并满足不同角色员工需求的政策和计划。通过使用社会生态学的观点，本研究确定了在大型医疗保健组织的多个层面实施、改善和维持工作场所母乳喂养支持的实用策略。
