Mudanças percebidas pelas médicas de família e comunidade no trabalho e na atuação médica após a maternidade

Abstract

For women doctors, motherhood brings the challenges of reconciling career and children. The characteristics of the work environment, such as physical space and workload, can also influence medical performance after maternity. Although many studies deal with gender differences in medical practice, little has been explored about motherhood and work from the perspective of these doctors themselves. The objective of this work is to explore the perceptions of women family physicians about how the personal experience and knowledge acquired with motherhood can develop new skills and professional attitudes, and about the relationship between motherhood and professional activity. An online questionnaire was carried out with women family physicians who completed their residency in Family Medicine since 2012, to map characteristics related to demography, education, work and motherhood. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with the doctors who had children, about the perception of changes in work and in medical performance after motherhood. Both quantitative and quantitative approaches were used, in interpreting the results of the form and in the analysis of the interviews. There were 166 responses to the electronic questionnaire, of these 56 doctors had children, and 17 were interviewed. Most doctors live in Rio de Janeiro, and have clinical activities. In the interviews, the main themes raised were the personal changes experienced with motherhood, changes in medical practice and the change in the relationship with work. Motherhood influences medical practice with the development of communication skills and the doctor-patient relationship, especially in the care of women and children patients. The fixed workload seems to be an obstacle for these women doctors with children to remain in the SUS. The institutions face the challenge of developing other models to integrate women doctors and mothers who wish to make their workload more flexible, so that, especially family medicine, do not lose this important workforce.