Factors influencing perimenopausal syndrome in clinical nurses: a qualitative study

Background: The quality of life of women is seriously affected by perimenopausal symptoms and related diseases. The work of female clinical nurses is often stressful and job burnout is not uncommon. Under such conditions, perimenopausal syndrome can be easily induced or aggravated. The health of nurses is positively correlated with nursing quality, residents' health, patients' quality of life and human resource cost in health care institutions. The physical and mental health of perimenopausal nurses is an important issue worth paying attention to. Methods: Clinical nurses were selected from tertiary and secondary hospitals in Chongqing province by purposive sampling from September to November 2020. Front-line nurses diagnosed with perimenopausal syndrome were recruited from different clinical departments and interviewed using a semi-structured method. The interview results were processed using thematic analysis. Results: Finally, 16 nurses were included in the present study. Analysis of the interview transcriptions identified four themes: patient factors, work environment factors, personal factors, and family social support factors. Conclusions: The themes influencing perimenopausal syndrome in clinical nurses include aspects of patient factors, working environment factors, personal factors, and family social support factors. Our findings provide an important reference for policy makers to develop management programs that benefit nurses and ensure the safety of patients.