| Learning Objective #1: Describe the experience of being with and caring for an individual who is suffering while also wanting to distance oneself | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Delineate ways of knowing utilized by registered nurses in caring for suffering individuals |
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to illuminate the lived experience of registered nurses in the care of individuals who were suffering. DESIGN: A phenomenological approach was utilized consisting of four iterative steps: purposive sampling, intensive interviewing, inductive data analysis using Giorgi's method, and uncovering the essential structure of the phenomenon. SAMPLE: Using purposive sampling, 12 registered nurses were recruited. SETTING: Nurses were employed in health care facilities located in the southeastern United States. NAMES OF VARIABLES OR CONCEPT: This study is an extension of the author's previous research on the concept of suffering and experiences of nursing students in caring for suffering individuals. MEASURES /INSTRUMENTS: Participants were asked to describe their experiences related to caring for suffering individuals. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Transcriptions of the interviews constituted the data for analysis. Data were analyzed utilizing the four-step process delineated by Giorgi. Methodological rigor was established through adherence to the four trustworthiness criteria established by Guba and Lincoln. FINDINGS: Five themes emerged from the data: articulating/knowing, attending, transcending, standing inside/standing outside, and connecting. Transcending involved a "moving beyond" and an ability to acknowledge the multidimensionality of the suffering experience. Standing inside/standing outside described a paradoxical coalescing of being with and caring for an individual who is suffering while wanting to distance oneself to protect one's vulnerability. CONCLUSION: Insight into registered nurses' experiences in caring for suffering individuals is gained primarily through their narratives of the lived experience. IMPLICATIONS: This research is significant to the clinical practice of nursing and to nursing education because it illuminates the challenges nurses encounter in their daily practice of caring for those who are suffering, it delineates the ways of knowing utilized by registered nurses in caring for suffering individuals, and it delineates many ethical dilemmas encountered by these nurses.
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