The Live Experiences of Parents Who Lost Their Infant

• Main Authors: Wang Chi, 王琪
• Other Authors: Chen Chin-Mi
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2015
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/91069603865840562603

碩士 === 國防醫學院 === 護理研究所 === 103 === Purpose: The dying process of a child is significant to parents’ grief responses. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of parents to be with their dying neonates in Taiwan. Design: This was a phenomenological design. Methods: Three fathers and five mothers were recruited by purposive sampling from a medical center in Northern Taiwan since September 2013 to October 2014. Data on participants’ lived experiences were collected in semi-structured interviews with open-ended questions. Data were extracted and analysed using Giorgi’s phenomenological methodology. Results: The lived experiences of bereaved parents who had lost a neonate in the NICU are referred to as five themes: attributing the cause of death, preparing to lose, struggling with “good child” or “good parents”, peacefully saying goodbye, and reshaping parenthood. Participants were preparing to lose, kindly letting go, peacefully saying goodbye, and having traceless memorial. Participants were preparing to lose due to aware of unstable conditions that were presented by their dying children. Parents were kindly letting go because they were unwilling their dying children to suffer non-effective medical treatments. Parents were peacefully saying goodbye to their lovely child and hold them until to die. To respect the cultural customs, parents were only having traceless memorial to the child who passed away. Fortunately, participants took responsibility to take good care to their other children by reshaping parenthood. Conclusion: The results provide that healthcare professionals to understand the parental perspectives about end-of-life care and to construct appropriate interventions in the future to smooth away their suffering of bereavement.