Exploring support systems among nurses and midwives who are working nursing mothers in healthcare settings in the Tamale Metropolis

• This study revealed that nursing mothers primarily relied on spouses and extended family for emotional, financial and practical assistance to balance work and childcare responsibilities. • Participants reported that they experienced stress and reduced job performance due to inflexible work schedules, lack of childcare facilities and unsympathetic supervisors. • The study found that nursing mothers employed strategies such as operating small businesses, practicing effective financial management, and seeking emotional support, whereas community-level support including public childcare and breastfeeding facilities, was largely lacking.” Modernization and urbanization have increased the dual roles of nurses and midwives, who must balance work and childcare with inadequate support systems. This study sought to examine the family, social, and institutional support systems available to nursing mothers within healthcare settings in Tamale Metropolis. This study adopted a qualitative exploratory descriptive design involving 18 purposively selected nurses and midwives from three major hospitals with children aged three months to five years. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed thematically to explore the family, social, and institutional support systems of the participants. Lincoln’s and Guba’s methods of trustworthiness were applied to ensure that the findings were valid and reliable. The study revealed that participants primarily depended on family support, especially from spouses and extended relationships, to manage work and childcare responsibilities. Despite receiving emotional, financial, and practical assistance, many mothers encountered challenges, such as inflexible work schedules, lack of childcare facilities, unsympathetic supervisors, and emotional stress, all of which affected their well-being and job performance. Coping mechanisms include engaging in small businesses, practising financial management, and seeking emotional and moral support. Community-level support systems were largely absent with no public childcare or breastfeeding facilities. This study highlights the crucial role of family and institutional support in helping nursing mothers balance their work and childcare. Recommendations include policy and institutional measures, such as extended maternity leave, workplace crèches, flexible work arrangements, and awareness initiatives to better support nursing mothers in healthcare settings. By identifying specific gaps in family, social, and institutional support, this research provides a foundation for interventions that could improve retention, well-being, and job satisfaction among working mother nurses and midwives in the Tamale Metropolis