Objectives:The specific aims of this study were to:(1) describe the process that families in rural south central Minnesota use to manage the health experience in the context of a chronic illness, and (2) build theory related to family adaptation in chronic illness. Design: Constant comparative. Sample, Setting: The sample, of twelve families, for this study was self-selected and nurse identified The researchers contacted the families by telephone to obtain verbal permission and to schedule the family interviews, which were conducted in the participants' homes . Methods: Semi-structured interviews, were audiotaped and lasted from one to two hours. The audiotapes were then transcribed and analyzed following the constant, comparative process. Findings: The core variable revealed by these families was that of negotiating the meaning of chronic illness in the family, a process of family re-integration precipitated by the uncertainty of the particular illness. Conclusions: Families in this study were called forth to actively deal with manifestations of quite different chronic illnesses: the common thread of uncertainty presented an ongoing challenge in all situations. Throughout the process of re-integration, sophisticated efforts were made to incorporate the chronic illness into the family's existing transactional sphere. Implications: Since nursing is the diagnosis and treatment of actual or potential responses to illness or injury and the family is the identified client, knowledge development in the emerging field of family nursing must focus on the entire family health experience. This is of particular significance when the family is dealing with chronic illness over time since the family perception is critical to individual adaptation.

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Back to 15th International Nursing Research Congress
Sigma Theta Tau International
July 22-24, 2004