PURPOSE
The specific aims were to identify the process of fight against ovarian cancer and how the women interact with other people.
METHODS
The subjects included 12 women who were higher than stage II epithelial ovarian cancer. Data were collected with an in-depth individual interview from July 2017 to April 2018. The specific analysis process followed the grounded theory method of Corbin and Strauss.
RESULTS
The results show that the core category was “finding the existence value with being tied to the bridle of death”. The outcomes were “fighting cancer in loneliness”, “life compromised with death”, and “social sublimation”. The women with ovarian cancer experienced the collapse of existence value while they reached the phase of implicit maintenance through the phases of chaos, active seeking, and desperate coping by using various strategies.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study indicate psychosocial problems due to the collapse of women's existence value in the process of ovarian cancer treatment, which have an important effect on the entire treatment process. Thus, it is important to develop nursing strategies based on the characteristics of the process of treatment in ovarian cancer and health providers should support them to rebuild the value of the existence through it.

Citations

• The Experience of Gynecologic Cancer in Young Women: A Qualitative Study
  Sung-Jin Kim, Hyunjeong Shin
  Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing.2023; 53(1): 115.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
Liver transplantation (LT) is the best treatment for patients with end-stage liver disease and most patients with LT return to their normal life. However, pregnancy and childbirth for women with LT are less common, mainly because it is considered to be dangerous for their health. The purpose of this study was to describe how Korean women after LT experience their pregnancy and childbirth.
METHODS
This study was designed to explore the experiences of pregnancy and childbirth of women with LT. Data were collected by individual in-depth interviews with four women who were pregnant and gave birth following LT in 2009. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. The transcribed data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
RESULTS
Four themes emerged as a result of analysis: recovery of lost feminity and marriage; fulfilling roles through pregnancy; life-risking pregnancy; and perfect family achieved by childbirth. These themes describe in detail about challenges and concerns the women with LT faced for their pregnancy and childbirth as well as many emotionally touching experiences.
CONCLUSION
The results of this study would support health professionals to be better prepared to help women with LT for pregnancy and childbirth by providing in-depth and insightful information.

Citations

• Lived Experiences of Korean Young Adults After Heart Transplantation: A Phenomenological Approach
  Hye Jin Yoo, Eunyoung E. Suh
  Asian Nursing Research.2021; 15(2): 89.     CrossRef

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to explore the life experiences of patients with a severe Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
METHODS
The data were collected through in-depth interviews of six patients suffering from severe COPD. The interviewed data were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and checked for accuracy. The Giorgi method of phenomenology was used for analyzing data.
RESULTS
Eight themes forming the, units of meaning, were: Repeated and Unpredictable Suffering of Dyspnea, Confidence Loss/Exhaustion Life due to non-efficient breathing, Gradually Deprived Liberty, Absolute Being to Sustaining my life, Source of Burden but Significant Person I am in the Family, Endless Tug-of-War-Capability/Endeavor to Breath, Longing for my Life, and Dead-end of breathing.
CONCLUSION
The study results provide an in-depth understanding of life experiences of patients suffering from severe COPD. The findings will be useful to nurses caring for this population.

PURPOSE
The purpose is to explore the illness experience of Korean women with breast cancer using feminist phenomenology.
METHODS
Data were collected by individual in-depth interviews from ten women with total mastectomy. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method from feminist perspective to reveal implicit socio-cultural norms that oppress women with breast cancer.
RESULTS
Two categories and seven major themes emerged: cancer-related experience (1) unfairness of having breast cancer; (2) being confined to the gaze of the others; patriarchy-related experience (3) hardness of being daughter-in-law; (4) struggling to keep on being good mother; (5) continued housework as duty; (6) recognizing self as precious wife, and (7) awakening of true self. All participants felt it was very unfair to get breast cancer because they had done their best for roles of mother, wife, and daughter-in-law. They struggled to free themselves from the social disgrace like the roles imposed by the patriarchal society. By awakening their true selves, they could manage a balance between other-oriented life and self-oriented life.
CONCLUSION
Oncology nurses need to provide psychosocial support for women with breast cancer in finding their true selves in a traditional patriarchal society where women are oppressed and breast cancer is stigmatized.

PURPOSE
This study was conducted to understand the meaning of mind control as it is understood by elderly persons in Korea.
METHOD
This study was conducted by engaging three elderly persons who are over the age of sixty five and presently residing in Seoul. Several in depth interviews were conducted with these individuals from March 2003 until November 2003. The contents of the interviews were analyzed using the Giorgi Method (1985), which places the emphasis on discovering meaning within the phenomenological context of an individual's experience.
RESULTS
The analysis of the contents revealed the following four components with regard to the meaning of mind control for elderly persons (1) Settling the mind (2) Gradual lowering of expectations and hope for the success of offspring, (3) Having good thoughts and acting accordingly, and (4) Making up one's mind to follow the 'natural flow of life'.
CONCLUSION
By allowing a wider and deeper understanding of the meaning of mind control for elderly persons the results of this study provide a basis for improving the care of elderly with a holistic perspective.