ABSTRACT
AIM: The purpose of this study was to illuminate the meaning of lived experiences during the acute phase of an acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHOD: Ten women (< 60 years old) afflicted with AMI narrated their experiences during their stay in the coronary care unit (CCU). The interview texts were interpreted using a method with a phenomenological hermeneutic approach, inspired by the philosophy of Ricoeur. The text was divided into meaning units that were condensed and abstracted. Three themes were then extracted from the text. FINDINGS: One theme was 'oneself as vulnerable' with the subthemes: 'the feeling of being dependent upon others', 'the feeling of being insulted' and 'the feeling of being a troublesome person'. Another theme was 'oneself as distanced', with the subthemes: 'not facing the reality', 'captive in an unreal situation', and 'inhibition out of concern for others'. The last theme was: 'oneself as making sense' with the subthemes: 'acquirement of some insight' and 'discovery of a new meaning with life'. CONCLUSION: The reported comprehensive understanding revealed the phenomena guilt and shame. These, in combination with the experience of being in an unreal situation and the withholding of feelings may have led to a deterioration of communication. It seems that relatives and the staff at CCU were not allowed to share the burden of being afflicted with an AMI.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Myocardial Infarction/psychology , Women/psychology , Adult , Communication , Coronary Care Units , Denial, Psychological , Dependency, Psychological , Female , Guilt , Humans , Middle Aged , Myocardial Infarction/nursing , Self Concept , Shame , SwedenABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning of lived experiences after an acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and being a partner to an afflicted woman, as it is narrated during rehabilitation. Nine women and their partners narrated their experiences three and twelve months after AMI. The interview texts were transcribed and then interpreted, using a phenomenological-hermeneutic method inspired by the philosophy of Ricoeur. The result showed that their experiences of the illness contained two themes: 'rehabilitation needed' and 'loss of freedom' which contains eight sub-themes; 'adapting to it', 'struggling against it', 'living as normally as possible', 'having insight into how it can be', 'feeling guilty and ashamed about being weak', 'withholding feelings', 'feeling useless', and 'feeling fatigued and losing strength'. After further interpretation, the themes gave a deeper meaning of living with AMI and how it affects women and their partners. The women conceded that they felt distressed and vulnerable but struggled against the fear the illness means. The partner's role appears to be one of trying to adapt to the women's experiences of the illness. That the women withheld their feelings and did not talk about them indicates a lack of communication between the couples. As coronary care nurses often come very close both to the afflicted persons and the relatives they fill an important function in each patient's recovery. The nurses could help and prepare the patients and their relatives to understand better such feelings and reactions as could appear after discharge from hospital.
Subject(s)
Adaptation, Psychological , Attitude to Health , Myocardial Infarction/psychology , Myocardial Infarction/rehabilitation , Women/psychology , Activities of Daily Living , Age Factors , Denial, Psychological , Emotions , Fear , Female , Freedom , Humans , Middle Aged , Nursing Methodology Research , Shame , Spouses/psychology , Stress, Psychological/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires , SwedenABSTRACT
The men's narratives about the women reveal a disturbance in the balance of their daily life, showing how they, the men, perceive powerlessness, and also how they passively adapted themselves to what happened. The narratives reveal that the women are 'ignoring and withholding' their feelings and that they want to be as 'responsible and independent' as they used to be. The women are disclosed as 'not wanting to face reality': there is an enervating lack of communication.
Subject(s)
Attitude to Health , Myocardial Infarction/psychology , Spouses/psychology , Adaptation, Psychological , Aged , Communication , Critical Care/psychology , Female , Humans , Internal-External Control , Male , Marriage/psychology , Middle Aged , Nursing Methodology ResearchABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning of lived experiences of caring for people affected by acute myocardial infarction. Thirty-four registered nurses at a Coronary Care Unit in the north of Sweden narrated their experiences of this specialized care of inpatients. The interview texts were transcribed and then interpreted using a phenomenological-hermeneutic method, inspired by the philosophy of Ricoeur. Two groups of texts were identified. One comprised 'narratives about the patient' within which were the themes: 'distancing oneself from what is happening' and 'showing oneself as vulnerable'. The other was 'narratives about caring', with the themes: 'reading of', 'adapting', 'coming close' and 'helping'. Various views on caring were disclosed and interpreted with reference to Martin Buber's philosophy. A comprehensive understanding of caring as oscillations between the poles distance and relation was formulated.
