Korean J Rehabil Nurs.  2020 Jun;23(1):15-26. 10.7587/kjrehn.2020.15.

Grounded Theoretical Approach on Illness Experience Process in Middle Aged Women with Brain Tumor

• Hong HJ
• Lee YW

• KMID: 2506045
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7587/kjrehn.2020.15

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this study was to develop a substantive theory that can understand the process of illness experience in brain tumor patients and explain their experiences.
Methods
Data were analyzed by Corbin & Strauss's grounded theory method.
Results
As a result of this study, the core category of brain tumor patients was the reintegration process to adapt to the changed me. This reintegration process has experience of illness through the stages of shock, ambivalent recognizer, relief, re-anxiety and readaptation. During the process of this illness experience, causal conditions were the testimony of the body, the threat of death, the contextual condition were the vulnerability of the woman, the search for the alternative, and the central phenomenon appeared to be the ambivalence toward escape versus acceptance. The interventional conditions were hopes of discovery, common patient wishes. The positive aspects of action/interaction were bright vision of the illness, prevention of recurrence, facing the illness, and the negative aspect was mental sequela. As a result, the paradoxical gift growth of the disease and recovery of normalization were derived.
Conclusion
The disease experience of these brain tumor patients was found to be through the stages of shock stage, ambivalent stage, relief stage, re-anxiety stage, re-adaptation stage. This reintegrated into the changed body and reality, and the transition of life was made by the illness event of brain tumor.

Keyword

Brain tumor; Illness experiences; Middle aged; Women; Grounded theory