• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.431-441
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• 2013

Purpose: The study was done to explore meanings and essence of the experience in South Korea of men defectors from North Korea. Methods: Data were collected from March, 2011 to May, 2012, through in-depth interviews with ten men defectors. Data analysis was conducted using the process of hermeneutic phenomenological reflection. Results: Eight essential themes were extracted; 'buoyant expectation for a new life', 'feeling guilty about family left behind in North Korea', 'inability to become acclimatized due to communication difficulties', 'inability to socialize with South Koreans due to different lifestyles', 'finding strength through trustworthy acquaintances', 'continuing reconciliation with oneself while trying to assimilate into South Korean culture', 'self-realization of one's original self', and 'continuing to feel out the possibility of a future in South Korea'. Conclusion: The findings indicate that North Korean men who defect to South Korea shape their identity through three phases: forming self-image during escape from North Korea, trying to become accustomed to South Korean society, and finding their own identity by self-realization of their original self. Eventually, the whole process enables them to recover their identity, to feel a sense of belonging, and to discover possibilities for a better future.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was done to gain understanding of what career and related experience mean to individuals undergoing hemodialysis. Methods: Ten male patients receiving hemodialysis participated in the study. Data collection took place between November 18, 2008 and February 10, 2010, via unstructured interviews. Data collection and analysis were conducted simultaneously, and Colaizzi's phenomenological method (1978) was used for the analysis. Results: The significance the participants found in their "dual" life as worker and dialysis patients was classified into five categories: 'Recognition of self-existence value', 'My health comes before my work', 'Being afraid of stigma', 'Limitation of restricted work', and 'Difficulty with time management.' Conclusion: It was found that the dialysis patients showed ambivalent feelings towards their careers, hoping they will be able to continue to work yet fearing that the continued work might break balance the between their livelihood and healing. Therefore, it is recommended that hours for hemodialysis be more flexible to ensure that patients can keep their jobs and better manage their time while undergoing treatment.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.347-357
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of family caregivers who care for the elderly under Long-term Care Insurance. Methods: Data were collected using focus group interviews and analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The four focus groups consisted of eight caregivers, two social workers and three nurses in B city, Korea. Results: Five themes were identified: 'Obtaining a care-helper certification for employment', 'Taking care of the elderly in their homes', 'Difficulties due to life changes', 'Difficulties due to reduced wages' and 'Dissatisfaction with the Long-term Care Insurance operating system'. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate that the long-term care system for family caregivers faces many systematic challenges in providing care for the elderly harmoniously in their home. To help them succeed in their tasks, Long-term Care Insurance system must offer respite and support programs to family caregivers.

• Korean Journal of Occupational Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.183-193
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• 2015

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe cleaning workers' working experiences in Korea. Methods: The data were collected in two focus-group interviews with 9 cleaning workers. The phenomenological analytic method suggested by Colaizzi was used to analyze the data. Results: Five theme clusters and thirteen themes emerged from the analysis. The first theme clusters, 'Dead-end choice' included Limits of elderly women workers, Financial difficulties, Lowered self-esteem. The second theme clusters, 'Facing with discriminatory working environments' included Fear and unfair working conditions. The third theme clusters, 'Potential health problems' included Physical overload, Repeated exposure to hazardous substances and Emotional labor. The fourth theme clusters, 'Excluded from protection of the law' included Gloomy reality and Sexual harassment. The fifth theme clusters, 'Desire to get out of social isolation' included Efforts to maintain the status, Desire to live confidently and Desire to change social recognition. Conclusion: The findings of the study provide understanding on cleaning workers' working experiences to explain by their vision and language and should ensure proper working conditions and environment to live a better life.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.287-298
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to deepen understanding the nature of the care experience by the mothers with adult children in persistent vegetative state. Methods: Participants were 7 mothers caring for their adult children in persistent vegetative state. Data were collected individually through in-depth interviews on their lived experiences. Also texts were included as data from literary works, novels, movies, essays, and arts containing on patients with persistent vegetative state and their mothers. Data were analyzed by van Manen's phenomenological methodology. Results: The essential themes of caring experiences of the mothers were as follows. The theme in relation to lived time has shown as back to the past and caring experience related lived body has emerged as locked the body in children. The theme related lived space was getting into the swamp and the theme in lived others was derived as lonely struggle into. Conclusion: The nature of mothers' caring experiences for adult children in persistent vegetative state is summarized as 'Do not off hand of hope in a locked state'. This study suggests long-term supports are necessary for mothers to care persistent vegetative state children.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.6-18
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• 2011

Purpose: This study was done to explore the meaning and nature of life world for adolescents with epilepsy. The hermeneutic phenomenological method which was developed by van Manen was used. Methods: Participants were four boys and five girls, ages 13 to 18 being seen in a neurology outpatient department. Data were collected from iterative work with in-depth interviews from during the period from February to September, 2010. Contents of the interviews were tape-recorded with participant consent. Results: Essential themes that fit into the context of the 4 existential grounds of body, time, space and other people were: an illness that makes a hurt in one's heart rather than one's body, a change in the body that is not controllable, a future like thick fog, everyday life trapped in illness, a change of relationships, learning how to live with an illness. Conclusion: Findings reveal the life world of the adolescents is affected to varying degrees by the epilepsy. It is important for nurses to identify and address developmental issues and effects of the illness and to support reorientation in a disintegrated life situation. The result of this study will provide nurses with insights into these experiences and should help promote empathetic care.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.355-366
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• 2018

Purpose: To understand the meaning and essence of Vietnamese migrant women's maternal experience after childbirth. Methods: A phenomenological methodology was used for this study. Study participants were six Vietnamese marriage migrant women who had experience of childbirth in Korea. Data collection period was from February 1 through November 4, 2016. Data were collected through in-depth interview and analyzed with the Giorgi method. Results: As a result of study, six main meanings and 12 themes were produced. The six main meanings produced in this study were 'childbirth realized in the double difficulty', 'concerned health between the ở cữ and the sanhujori', 'tired body with hard parenting', 'crowding regret for international marriage after childbirth', 'Grateful partner becoming the prop', and 'Growing maternal instinct by moving the mind and body in a foreign country'. Conclusion: Consideration for postnatal care is necessary from Vietnamese marriage migrant women's viewpoint. Systematic education programs that can improve nursing capability of medical personnel for multicultured clinical practice with development of a postnatal care program suited to multiculture are also necessary.

• Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.97-108
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• 2021

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the life-sustaining treatment decisions of terminal cancer patients. Methods: Data on 10 terminal cancer patients who decided to withhold or withdraw from treatment were collected using in-depth interviews conducted from February 8 to October 30, 2019. Data were collected until saturation was reached and then analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological method. Results: In this study, six thematic clusters were identified: "having complicated feelings", "making choices to protect everyone", "accepting and preparing for death", "feeling distress", "pursuing spiritual wellbeing", and "evaluating the new system". Conclusion: When facing death, terminal cancer patients often made choices to protect their family and their dignity with uneasiness of mind when deciding to withdraw from life-sustaining treatments. Though many patients had accepted and prepared for death, they experienced distress about leaving children behind after death. They also pursued spiritual well-being to find peace after deciding to withdraw from life-sustaining treatment. In addition, participants evaluated the new system of policies pertaining to decisions on life-sustaining treatment. Thus, various approaches regarding acceptance and preparation for death, communication with family, hope, and spiritual comfort should be taken in educational interventions to assist terminal cancer patients as they decide whether to withdraw from life-sustaining treatment.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.14-26
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• 2022

Purpose : This study aimed to understand and describe the nurses' experiences caring for severe COVID-19 patients at isolation room with negative pressure in South Korea. Methods : Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews from February 16 to March 31, 2021 with 11 nurses who had been caring for severe COVID-19 patients at isolation room. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed according to Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis. Results : As a result, 5 theme clusters were extracted about nurses' experiences. The 5 theme clusters, "Adapting to unexpected adversity", "Accepting unresonable and heavy work", "Dulness and disconnection from the outside world", "Changing in perception of new infectious diseases", and "Pathetic isolated patients" emerged. Conclusion : The results of this study provided a deeper understanding of nurses struggling to care for COVID-19 severe patients. This study is expected to be useful in providing basic evidence for improving intensive care practices and for preparing policies in other infection disease situations.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.212-226
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• 2022

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore nurses' experience of the role adaptation process and barriers in long-term care (LTC) facilities including nursing homes, daycare centers, and home visit nursing centers. Methods: After in-depth interviews with 13 nurses who were working at the LTC facilities in G province, the data were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological methodology. Results: 17 themes with 6 theme clusters, and 2 categories emerged: nursing role adaptation process in the LTC (role expectation and readiness, role perception and performance, limits of role performance), and barriers to nursing role adaptation in the LTC facility (organizational, situational, and institutional-environmental barriers). Conclusion: The results showed that it is critical to establish the nurses' role in caring for the health of the elderly and maintaining the quality of care in the LTC facilities. In response to the growing demand for quality care in the LTC facilities, more institutional and environmental changes are needed to address the current barriers that prevent nurses from performing their appropriate roles.