Implementation of break time for employee nursing mothers at the University of Louisville : a case study.

Abstract

Care Act (ACA) at an upper southern-midwestern university. As public health and medical officials push the desire for an increase in breastfeeding initiation and duration, many mothers must overcome barriers within the employment arena. Previous work has failed to look at how the university setting presents unique challenges with a diverse workforce, varied jobs, and differing space availability. In other settings, barriers have been identified; the goal of this dissertation was to identify what the specific barriers were within a university setting. A mixed methods approach was used interviewing both nursing employees as well as members of the university's lactation task force; in addition to this, a survey of employees who had utilized the Break Time provisions since 2010 was conducted. The outcomes confirmed that the barriers included space, time, and information, but included lack of social support as an additional barrier. viRecommendations are made to the university to help alleviate these barriers to full implementation of the Break Time for Nursing Mothers.