Parenting Without Penalty: Paid Parental Leave as a Boundary-Management Strategy for Nursing Workforce Sustainability

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.