Parenting Sense of Competence and Maternal Employment Guilt Among Female Healthcare Professionals with Young Children in Türkiye: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Female healthcare professionals with young children may experience maternal employment guilt when they perceive that paid work limits the time and attention they can give their children. This study examined the relationship between parenting sense of competence and maternal employment guilt among nurses and midwives with children aged 0–6 years. It also explored associated sociodemographic and work-related factors during the COVID-19 post-lockdown transition. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted between May and August 2021 in hospital and primary healthcare settings in western Türkiye. Of 174 eligible healthcare professionals, 150 participated. Data were collected using the Parenting Sense of Competence Scale–Mother Form (PSOC), the Maternal Employment Guilt Scale (MEGS), and a personal information form. Group comparisons, Spearman correlations, and multivariable linear regression were performed. Results: The mean total PSOC score was 55.89 ± 7.47, and the mean MEGS score was 62.27 ± 15.72. Parental satisfaction showed the largest observed inverse correlation with maternal employment guilt among the PSOC scores examined (ρ = −0.324; p < 0.001). The correlation with total PSOC was smaller (ρ = −0.177; p = 0.030), and total PSOC was not statistically significant in the adjusted linear model (p = 0.071). The overall adjusted linear model was not statistically significant (p = 0.089). In supplementary exploratory models, satisfaction remained inversely associated with guilt after adjustment (Holm-adjusted p = 0.015), although its overall model test was nonsignificant (p = 0.081). Day-only work and a 40-h working week were associated with higher scores on some PSOC measures in exploratory comparisons. Conclusions: Among nurses and midwives with young children, maternal employment guilt was inversely associated with satisfaction in the parenting role. Work schedule and weekly working hours were also associated with some parenting sense of competence scores. These cross-sectional findings highlight specific aspects of healthcare professionals’ work–family experience for further investigation.