Paper
Friday, July 23, 2004
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Friday, July 23, 2004
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Mothering an Extremely Low Birth Weight Infant
Laura Schenk, MSN, RNC, NNP and Jane H. Kelley, PhD, RN. University of Mississippi Medical Center School of Nursing, Jackson, MS, USA
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to describe the lived experience of what it is like to be a mother of an extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infant during her stay with her infant/s in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Design: This is an interpretative phenomenological Heideggarian hermeneutic approach to discover the naturally occurring concerns and patterns of meanings of the embodied experiences of this group of mothers. Population: Mothers of ELBW infants, less than or equal to 900 grams at birth, who are age 21 years and older and English speaking, and who are able to be contacted by telephone. Methods: The interpretive phenomenological method of inquiry will be used in this qualitative study; to investigate the lived experience of mothers of extremely low birth weight (ELBW) infants during their stay in the NICU, and specifically the hermeneutic phenomenological approach of Benner (1994) will be employed. This study consisted of audio-tapped interviews of mothers before the discharge of their infants from the NICU and follow-up telephone interviews to establish completeness of their experiences and of the preliminary interpretation. Findings: This study is in progress. Conclusions: In progress Implications: Understanding the themes and meanings of this study will offer guidance for future research and future programs to aid in the development of meaningful healthy mother-infant relationships and helpful relationships with NICU structure and staff.
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Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004