| Learning Objective #1: Describe the phenomenon of unburdening as significant to quality of life in persons living with spinal cord injury | |||
| Learning Objective #2: Discuss the structure of unburdening emerging from a Parse Method research study |
Unburdening is a chosen way of being that reflects personal values and manifests quality of life. Burdened and unburdening are feelings persons with spinal cord injury experience, yet there is no research to date on unburdening with this specific group. The purpose of this paper is to describe research regarding the universal lived phenomenon of unburdening in persons living with spinal cord injury. Parse's human becoming school of thought serves as the theoretical foundation for this research. The participants were ten persons, 22-74 years of age, living in the midwestern United States. Parse's research method, a phenomenological-hermeneutic method, was used to answer the research question. Three core concepts emerged through the processes of diaglogical engagement, exraction synthesis, and heuristic interpretation. The core concepts are uplifting lightness amid constraints, fortifying engagements, and cherished endeavors. These core concepts when integrated together provdided the following answer to the research question: The lived experience of unburding is uplifting lightness amid constraints, as fortifying engagements emerge with cherished endeavors. Uncovering the structure of unburdening enhances understanding of the phenomenon as it is lived and provides new knowledge about health and quality of life. Heightened understanding can further inform nurses and other health professionals, who value the prson's own perspective, about humanly lived experiences. This in turn will strengthen nursing knowledge and serve to guide practice in caring for persons with spinal cord injury and generate new ideas for further research.
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