PURPOSE
The research aims to understand the lived experience of the caregivers of chronic renal failure(CRF) patients and its essential meaning. The results of the study can be used as basic materials for developing comprehensive intervention methods of care givers of CRF patients. METHOD: The research used van Manen's hermeneutic and phenomenological research methods in order to describe the lived experience and to understand its meaning. It concentrates on the understanding the essence of experience and consists of existential survey, hermeneutic and phenomenological reflection and hermeneutic writings. Participants in this research were five women care givers of CRF patients who had hemolysis at C university hospital in a metropolitan city, the period of data collection was from July 27 to Sep. 4, 2004 and major data of results in the following 5 essential themes. 'sole responsibility for the patient enduring everything', 'creating their own field', 'heavy and painful life without hope of their private life', 'wishing not to be inherited and consoling each other'. CONCLUSION: The above findings point out that the experience of care givers of CRF patient affected and changed all parts of an individual life and his or her family life. Therefore, it suggests that total family nursing care must be considered in order to provide the holistic caring for CRF patients and their care givers.