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Background: Telemedicine has the potential to remove geographic and temporal obstacles to health care access. Whether and how telemedicine can increase health care access for underserved populations remains an open question. To address this issue, we integrated facilitated telemedicine encounters for the management of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a highly prevalent condition among people with opioid use disorder (OUD), into opioid treatment programs (OTPs). In New York State, OTPs are methadone-dispensing centers that provide patient-centered, evidence-based treatment for OUD. We investigated the integration and impact of facilitated telemedicine into OTP workflows in these settings., Objective: This study aims to understand OTP staff experiences with integrating facilitated telemedicine for HCV treatment into OTPs, including best practices and lessons learned., Methods: We conducted semistructured interviews with 45 OTP staff members (13 clinical, 12 administrative, 6 physicians, and 14 support staff members) at least one year after the implementation of facilitated telemedicine for HCV management. We used hermeneutic phenomenological analysis to understand OTP staff experiences., Results: We identified 4 overarching themes illustrating the successful integration of facilitated telemedicine for HCV care into OTPs. First, integration requires an understanding of the challenges, goals, and values of the OTP. As OTP staff learned about new, highly effective HCV therapies, they valued an HCV cure as a "win" for their patients and were excited about the potential to eliminate a highly prevalent infectious disease. Second, the integration of facilitated telemedicine into OTPs fosters social support and reinforces relationships between patients and OTP staff. OTP staff appreciated the ability to have "eyes on" patients during telemedicine encounters to assess body language, a necessary component of OUD management. Third, participants described high levels of interprofessional collaboration as a care team that included the blurring of lines between disciplines working toward a common goal of improving patient care. Study case managers were integrated into OTP workflows and established communication channels to improve patient outcomes. Fourth, administrators endorsed the sustained and future expansion of facilitated telemedicine to address comorbidities., Conclusions: OTP staff were highly enthusiastic about facilitated telemedicine for an underserved population. They described high levels of collaboration and integration comparable to relevant integrative frameworks. When situated within OTPs, facilitated telemedicine is a high-value application of telemedicine that provides support for underserved populations necessary for high-quality health care. These experiences support sustaining and scaling facilitated telemedicine in comparable settings and evaluating its ability to address other comorbidities., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02933970; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02933970., (©Suzanne S Dickerson, Saliyah J George, Ana Ventuneac, Arpan Dharia, Andrew H Talal. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (https://www.jmir.org), 12.06.2024.)

Through a phenomenological framework, college students formerly incarcerated were studied to examine their experiences, perceptions, and challenges they encountered as they attempted to complete their college degree. Results uncovered seven themes: Education as survival, education as growth and development, feeling disrespected, education for career development, college readiness, navigating the culture of higher education, and accepting the challenges in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Caring for patients with advanced cancer is complex and challenging, requiring varied expertise, including symptom management, communication skills, care coordination and emotional resilience. Within existing literature, the lived experiences of oncology nurses are poorly articulated in countries with a lower income where formal palliative care (PC) is absent. Aim: To explore the lived experiences of Gazan oncology nurses who provide care to patients with advanced cancer in healthcare systems, without formal palliative care infrastructure. Methods: A phenomenological approach was adopted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted between January and April 2022, in the Turkish Palestinian Friendship Hospital. Thematic analysis used the themes (corporeality, relationality, spatiality and temporality) to facilitate reflection on the meaning of participants' lived experiences. Results: Interviews were undertaken with 16 oncology nurses. The experience of the 'erosion of nurses' work when coping with anxious attachments to patients and families' was the overarching theme in nurses' views, characterised by five sub-themes: (1) inadequacy of PC training and resources, (2) serving humanity, (3) pride in their profession, (4) existential distress and the coping strategies used by nurses, and (5) reported stress and anxiety when caring for seriously ill patients and their families. Conclusions: The study sheds light on the challenges and powerful emotions experienced by oncology nurses who care for patients with advanced cancer, yet lack the necessary PC training and institutional resources. The findings indicate an urgent need for PC training for nurses within the Gazan healthcare system and other lower-income settings. Assessing nurses' emotions and relationships with patients and family caregivers is imperative to enable optimum care for patients with cancer and to foster resilience among their nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients diagnosed with hematological malignancies residing in low-middle-income countries undergo significant physical and psychological stressors. Despite this, only 16% of them receive proper care during the terminal stages. It is therefore crucial to gain insight into the unique experiences of this population. Aim: To have a better understanding of the needs and experiences of adult patients with advanced hematological malignancy by exploring their perspectives. Methods: A qualitative interpretive design was employed to collect and analyze data using a phenomenological approach. The study involved in-depth interviews with ten participants aged between 49 and 65 years, utilizing a semi-structured approach. Results: Two primary themes emerged from the participants' experiences of reaching the terminal stage of illness: "Pain, Suffering, and Distress" and "Spiritual Coping." The first theme encompassed physical and emotional pain, suffering, and distress, while the second theme was centered on the participants' spiritual coping mechanisms. These coping mechanisms included seeking comfort in religious practices, relying on spiritual support from family and friends, and finding solace in their beliefs and faith. Conclusion: Patients with hematological malignancies in the terminal stages of their disease experience severe pain, considerable physical and psychosocial suffering, and spiritual distress. While they require support to cope with their daily struggles, their experiences often go unnoticed, leading to disappointment and loss of dignity. Patients mainly rely on their spirituality to cope with their situations. Healthcare providers must acknowledge these patients' needs and provide more holistic and effective care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The relationship between parents and children is one of the important topics of psychology and sociology, and parenting methods are considered as one of the important topics in this field. The present research examined the values and expectations of parenting among the parents of the deprived class. Method: The present qualitative research was conducted by phenomenological analysis method in 2019 in Tehran. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were used with 14 parents of the underprivileged class of Tehran until the data saturation stage. Data analysis was done using MAXQDA 20 software. Results: Based on the findings of this research, five main themes (18 sub-themes) namely parent-centered values (compensation, support, forward-looking, positive communication), and child-centered values (getting an education, obeying the rules, respecting elders, religious values, courtesy, independence), parenting expectations (positive parenting, positive education, positive social role), harmful resources (current injuries, financial problems), and supportive resources (family of origin, wide network of relationships and society, available service providers) were obtained. Conclusion: In summarizing the overall findings of this research, it can be elucidated that challenges arising from adverse economic and social conditions have disproportionately impacted parents facing economic disadvantages in the context of child-rearing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Unlike classroom education, during clinical placements, much of the day-to-day activities are unplanned and unstructured, hence, learning occurs in a complex environment. While a clinical setting may provide a more authentic learning environment, it however does include many challenges for the students. Identifying the challenges experienced by students is of importance so that appropriate mitigation strategies can be put in place. The aim of the study was to explore the challenges experienced by radiography students during their clinical placements. Methods. A qualitative phenomenological design employing three focus group discussions were conducted with second, third, and fourth-year radiography students. Data were managed in Nvivo 12 and analysed according to Giorgi's phenomenological approach. Results. Six themes overlapping from all three focus groups representing the challenges experienced by students emerged. The themes include financial issues, inadequate equipment, unsatisfactory supervision, disruptive behaviours, COVID-19, and a lack of support. Conclusion. Deliberate strategies to tackle the challenges experienced by students are recommended to create an effective clinical environment for radiography students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human papillomavirus (HPV) carries a significant health risk for people with a cervix. Among transgender and nonbinary people, however, testing and treatment for HPV can pose difficulties and even be traumatic at times. This study is part of a larger mixed-methods study conducted in Michigan in 2020, and it explores the experiences of transmasculine and nonbinary people with at-home self-swabbing HPV test kits and knowledge of HPV transmission/screenings. Phenomenological qualitative methods were used by conducting virtual qualitative interviews with ten transmasculine and nonbinary individuals with cervixes, ages 23–59. Interviews were independently coded by members of the research team and a tabletop theming method was used. Four themes were generated from the data: (1) multilevel barriers; (2) "get it done, so I know that I am safe"; (3) contrasting preferences for care; and (4) community calls for change. The discussion focuses on the implications of these findings for improving sexual health care for the transgender and nonbinary community, along with directions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns triggered social discontent on an unprecedented scale. Descriptive phenomenological studies showed that pregnant women were under intense stress during the COVID-19 outbreak, even though they remained uninfected. The purpose of this study was to report on the experiences of pregnant women affected by mild COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. Methods In this non- interventional qualitative study, we analyzed pregnant women’s experiences using an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. We conducted semi-structured interviews with women who had had a mild COVID-19 during their pregnancy, and gave birth or planned to give birth in the maternity units of Sorbonne University in Paris, France. Results Participants reported that at the time they had COVID-19, they were not afraid of being seriously ill, but of transmitting COVID-19 to their close relatives. Their main concern was being pregnant and becoming a parent in a world where the pandemic deeply altered social environment. This included uncertainty about the future and an acute feeling of isolation related to lockdown. The idea that their partner might not be allowed to attend childbirth was almost unanimously felt as intolerable. In contrast, women had positive feelings regarding the fact that lockdown resulted in a de facto paternity leave leading to a certain degree of equality in the couple regarding baby care and household chores. Unexpectedly, the pandemic social distancing measures helped participants escaping from behavioral constraints, including the unspoken rule that they should welcome greetings from friends and family, despite being exhausted by the recent birth. Conclusions Our results suggest that avoiding separation from their partner is a key to benevolent medical care for pregnant women in times of health crises. The unexpected benefits women reported in a world of lockdown cast a new light on their expectation regarding parenthood today.

This study a utilized phenomenological hermeneutic design. Fourteen Iranian family caregivers of patients with COVID-19 who were isolated at home were included in the study using purposive sampling. In-depth unstructured interviews were conducted via WhatsApp. Sampling continued until data saturation. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using Van Manen's approach. Three primary themes and eight subthemes emerged. The primary themes included: "captured in a whirlpool of time", "resilient care' and "feeling helpless". It seems that the families of patients with COVID-19 attempt to resist the pressures of this disease with religious practices and problem solving. However, due to the nature of the disease and its severity, they sometimes feel ashamed or lonely and are afraid of losing their loved ones. It is recommended that psychiatric nurses should develop programs in the form of comprehensive spiritual care packages or psychological support and utilize multiple media channels to deliver these. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People may assume that the counseling profession functions with a shared set of values that promote well-being and mental health to individuals, families, and communities across the globe. Common values, such as described in training programs, ethical codes, and other areas, reflect the approach and direction for providing professional counseling services among counseling professionals throughout the world. The researchers designed this qualitative study using a phenomenological approach to explore how counseling values are experienced and implemented across various cultures. The 16 participants of the study include counseling professionals from different countries to increase representation from eight regions of the world. The researchers recognize valued approaches commonly identified among the participants implementing counseling services, including marital and family counseling, child and school counseling, faith integration, indigenous practices, and person-centered safe spaces. While each of these valued approaches is described in detail, final applications of the data offer proposed steps to improve the advancement of counseling on a global scale, including strategies for transcultural counseling training, resource adaptability, and bilateral development in the profession. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our understanding of the meaning of hoarding is still in development. Thematic readings of the literature suggest that hoarding involves a very distinctive way of understanding the world, with the act of acquiring and retaining of material comprising in a form of psychological home or safe space. The connection of the person to their hoard requires further exploration, as does the place that this relationship has with the wider world of society and culture. This study sought to investigate experiences of persons who hoard and their relationship to their hoarded material. A phenomenologically‐oriented qualitative research design was used to investigate 14 participants' experiences of hoarding. Analysis of transcripts was conducted using thematic moment by moment analysis consistent with the phenomenological approach. To give further clarification and elucidation to the meaning of hoarding a psychoanalytically informed analysis of the material was included. Three themes emerged from this process: Firstly, "It's not yours. It's mine"; secondly, "Keeping within the walls"; and thirdly, "Sorting through." The emergent themes reflect the creative and inventive ways participants related to hoarded material. Themes are discussed in relation to relevant psychoanalytical concepts, including Winnicott's Transitional Objects, with difficulties observed in hoarding paralleling difficulties transitioning out into the world of relating, as well as the part that cultural unconscious processes play here. Aspects of Bion's container‐contained function are also discussed. Implications for future research and working clinically with people who hoard are discussed, particularly the handling of hoarded material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting lockdowns triggered social discontent on an unprecedented scale. Descriptive phenomenological studies showed that pregnant women were under intense stress during the COVID-19 outbreak, even though they remained uninfected. The purpose of this study was to report on the experiences of pregnant women affected by mild COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic. Methods: In this non- interventional qualitative study, we analyzed pregnant women's experiences using an interpretive phenomenological analysis approach. We conducted semi-structured interviews with women who had had a mild COVID-19 during their pregnancy, and gave birth or planned to give birth in the maternity units of Sorbonne University in Paris, France. Results: Participants reported that at the time they had COVID-19, they were not afraid of being seriously ill, but of transmitting COVID-19 to their close relatives. Their main concern was being pregnant and becoming a parent in a world where the pandemic deeply altered social environment. This included uncertainty about the future and an acute feeling of isolation related to lockdown. The idea that their partner might not be allowed to attend childbirth was almost unanimously felt as intolerable. In contrast, women had positive feelings regarding the fact that lockdown resulted in a de facto paternity leave leading to a certain degree of equality in the couple regarding baby care and household chores. Unexpectedly, the pandemic social distancing measures helped participants escaping from behavioral constraints, including the unspoken rule that they should welcome greetings from friends and family, despite being exhausted by the recent birth. Conclusions: Our results suggest that avoiding separation from their partner is a key to benevolent medical care for pregnant women in times of health crises. The unexpected benefits women reported in a world of lockdown cast a new light on their expectation regarding parenthood today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The anaesthetic workforce is a scarce resource in South Africa (SA), and the media frequently reports that anaesthetists are leaving the country in search of better opportunities in well-resourced countries. The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing the migration intentions of South African anaesthetists. Methods: This study utilised a qualitative methodology in the form of virtual interviews. A total of 23 interviews were conducted on purposefully selected participants using a snowball approach. The interviews were transcribed and coded into emerging themes using MAXQDA version 2022. Thematic content analysis was subsequently performed. Results: The study found that all SA-based participants were considering emigrating, while those who had already emigrated had no plans to return to SA in the near future. Push factors prompted the consideration of emigration, and these were related to unsatisfactory living and working conditions in South Africa, such as a high level of crime and corruption, and the country's overall poor resources and infrastructure. Destination countries were chosen based on their pull factors such as better working conditions and opportunities for professional growth. These pull factors frequently outweighed South Africa's push factors and are therefore critical in the decision to emigrate. The main recommendations from the participants include facilitating collaboration between the public and private sectors, expanding the available sub-specialties in SA, and recognising fellowships in South African hospitals. The study participants were of the view that South African anaesthesiologists would be motivated to stay by a combination of patriotism and hope for the future. Conclusions and Policy Recommendations: The Anaesthetic workforce in South Africa is at critical risk and is unlikely to stabilise soon. Concerted efforts should be made by all concerned to explore ways of retaining the staff, considering the recommendations of the participants. Relevant key stakeholders in training and regulation of anaesthetics practice such as the Health Professions Council of South Africa, South African Society of Anaesthesiologists, and the Colleges of Medicine of South Africa should collaborate and prioritise mechanisms of monitoring emigration and intervening on modifiable professional and socio-political factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Breast cancer is a multidimensional crisis for women and their spouses that affects every aspect of their life. Coping with this disease requires investigating and resolving the challenges faced by all those affected by it. The present study was conducted to clarify these challenges on the basis of lived experiences of the spouses of women with breast cancer. Method: The present qualitative research performed an interpretive phenomenological analysis in Iran. Purposive sampling was employed to select twenty spouses of women with breast cancer. The data collected through unstructured face-to-face interviews were analyzed using van Manen's method. To ensure the rigor of the study, Lincoln and Guba's criteria were evaluated in the qualitative process. Results: Lived experiences of the spouses of the women with breast cancer in coping with challenges included the four themes of emotional confusion, shouldering the burden of care, psychophysical suffering caused by the disease and life without cohesion. Conclusion: Spouses of the women with breast cancer in the Iranian community faced several challenges and issues. The socioeconomic support provided by supporting organizations and medical personnel appear to help moderate these challenges and improve coping in this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parents' lived experiences of having a child with ADHD may shape their decision making regarding ADHD treatment options for their child. The aim of this study was to explore parents' experiences of living with a child with ADHD in the family and how their experiences influence their perspectives on treatment preferences and priorities. Methods: A phenomenological qualitative design was used. Semistructured interviews were conducted with parents of children with ADHD who were enrolled in a multisite randomized controlled trial. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and transcripts at each site were double coded. Initial codes were derived directly from the text. Qualitative data were analysed with an inductive approach. Results: Twenty‐three parents were interviewed: eight from Alberta, Canada; eight from Portland, Oregon, USA; and seven from Columbus, Ohio, USA. Among the parents, 69% were married, 86% completed college education and 52% reported household income over $80,000. Among the children, the mean age was 9.6 years (SD = 1.8 years), 78% were boys and 48% were never medicated for their ADHD. Two major themes emerged from the analysis. Theme 1 was 'impact of ADHD on families within and outside the home' with the following subthemes: 'reconfiguring the home life', 'trial‐and‐error of accommodations at school' and 'responding to social pressures to fit in'. Theme 2 was 'enabling appropriate and accessible treatments for families' with the following subthemes: 'finding the "right fit" with professionals and treatments' and 'factors influencing inequitable access to treatments'. Conclusions: Parents described shared experiences and identified similar barriers, preferences and priorities for ADHD treatments regardless of demographic differences by site. Families desired access to family‐centred, multimodal approaches to ADHD treatment. Further research is needed to identify the specific structural changes to healthcare, services and policies that will better support this approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The number of volunteers in Danish nursing homes is increasing. Volunteers cooperate with professional caregivers to improve the residents' well‐being and quality of life as part of their palliative care. The Danish government encourages this volunteer involvement, which is partly intended to alleviate the resource constraints in municipal healthcare. Although volunteer roles are defined as complementary to the professional caregiver role, volunteer‒professional caregiver cooperation can be challenging. Aim: This article explores the challenges experienced in volunteer‒professional caregiver cooperation in the general palliative care provided in nursing homes. Method: A qualitative design and a sociological phenomenological approach were adopted to answer the research question: What is experienced as challenging in the cooperation between volunteer and professional caregivers in the provision of care for elderly residents in everyday life in a nursing home? And what meanings and understandings are associated with these experiences? Data were collected by combining participant observations and interviews, and thematic analysis structured the analytical process. Findings: The analysis of 115 hours of participant observations in two Danish nursing homes with 50‒60 volunteers involved and 16 interviews (eight with volunteers, eight with professional caregivers) identified two overall themes: 'Symbolic indications of them and us' (two sub‐themes) and 'Meaning and action regarding the residents best interest' (three sub‐themes). Conclusions: An institutional distinction between volunteer versus professional caregiver domains contributed to a sense of 'them and us', which hindered common experiences and raised challenges concerning the mutual understanding of actions. The professional caregivers felt that they lacked the time to engage in social care activities with residents, for which volunteers otherwise had time. The coordinator role was a crucial link in coordinating the daily care activities for residents but marked by a sense of ambivalence among the professional caregivers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Breast cancer is a multidimensional crisis for women and their spouses that affects every aspect of their life. Coping with this disease requires investigating and resolving the challenges faced by all those affected by it. The present study was conducted to clarify these challenges on the basis of lived experiences of the spouses of women with breast cancer. Method: The present qualitative research performed an interpretive phenomenological analysis in Iran.Purposive sampling was employed to select twenty spouses of women with breast cancer. The data collected through unstructured face-to-face interviews were analyzed using van Manen’s method. To ensure the rigor of the study, Lincoln and Guba’s criteria were evaluated in the qualitative process. Results: Lived experiences of the spouses of the women with breast cancer in coping with challenges included the four themes of emotional confusion, shouldering the burden of care, psychophysical suffering caused by the disease and life without cohesion. Conclusion: Spouses of the women with breast cancer in the Iranian community faced several challenges and issues. The socioeconomic support provided by supporting organizations and medical personnel appear to help moderate these challenges and improve coping in this group.

We analyzed the lived experiences of frontline nurses and physicians who were affected by COVID‐19 through a phenomenological approach, using Cohen's methodology with interview data. The participants were enrolled in the study in May 2020 during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Italy. The inclusion criteria were (i) being a nurse or physician employed full time caring for COVID‐19 patients before falling ill; (ii) contracting SARS‐CoV‐2 between February 2020 to May 2020; (iii) having recovered before enrollment; and (iv) providing informed consent to participate. Sixteen participants (60% nurses) with an average age of 45 years were included. The following main themes were extrapolated from our data analysis: "fear of diagnosis," "loneliness (as isolation)," "touch of nurses," and "feeling guilty of abandonment." Several aspects emerging from our study highlight the strong emotional impact of COVID on nurses and physicians infected during their activities, such as feelings of fear and loneliness on the one hand, and of impotence and guilt for not being able to help on the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Neurofeedback is a neurostimulatory biofeedback behavioural therapy that regulates brain wave levels for optimal cognitive functioning. It has shown promising results for the treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Aim: To explore and describe the experiences of neurofeedback therapists (NTs) using neurofeedback to treat children and adults with ADHD and their experience of its role and value in treating this condition. Setting: Interviews were conducted in participants' private consultation rooms in Gauteng, South Africa. Methods: In this qualitative study using a descriptive phenomenological approach, six registered NTs with experience of treating ADHD were interviewed. Participants were asked: 'Tell me about your experiences of neurofeedback with ADHD patients in your practice.' Responses were audio-recorded, transcribed and underwent thematic analysis. Results: Participants experienced neurofeedback as an effective treatment for ADHD and other coexisting conditions, such as anxiety and insomnia. Participants felt that the neurofeedback process facilitates a beneficial therapeutic relationship and integrates well with other treatment methods. Challenges faced in practice included certain underlying comorbidities, home environment, poor patient compliance and NTs' level of expertise, which impact treatment outcomes. Conclusion: Neurofeedback therapists expressed an overall positive perception of the value of neurofeedback to reduce ADHD symptom severity and improve quality of life, particularly when used as part of a multimodal approach. Participants identified a need for further education and awareness regarding the use of neurofeedback for ADHD. Contribution: This study has contributed to our understanding of the role of neurofeedback in treating ADHD in the South African setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the adaptation process of support group participants who are survivors of lower limb amputation (LLA) experiencing phantom limb pain (PLP). The study followed a qualitative, descriptive phenomenological design. Ten adult participants with LLA met inclusion criteria and through semi-structured interviews shared their lived experience. A qualitative descriptive methodology was used to analyze the data collected from interview transcriptions. Analysis involved coding and theme development. Three themes emerged: PLP interrupted but does not prevent participation, adapting to PLP allowed for continued participation in meaningful occupations, and education to promote self-management of PLP. Themes identified highlight the importance of social support and early education on PLP to facilitate the adaption process and promote occupational participation. The finding underscores the value of empowering survivors to self-manage pain through their own personal and unique ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study was conducted with nine individuals who have successfully completed a Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) doctoral program. A hermeneutic phenomenological approach was employed to explore the experiences of these MFT doctoral graduates and the contributing factors to their success. The four overarching themes that emerged from the data included: (1) Necessity of and dependence on connections and support systems, (2) Becoming adept at overcoming challenges through limited resources, (3) Ability to translate skills and integrate processes, (4) Gratitude and appreciation for the journey. Implications for this field of study are discussed. Future research and implications are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences, perceptions, and considerations of individuals who declined participation in a randomized clinical trial involving exercise rehabilitation after surgery for lung cancer. An interpretive phenomenological approach was applied comprising interviews with 15 individuals who did not wish to participate in the trial. The findings shed light on a discrepancy between their freedom to act and make decisions and the limitations of having to act in a certain way. The participants found themselves in a gray area between a healthy life and a good life, as influenced by societal norms and taking responsibility for one's own health and rehabilitation. When including patients in rehabilitation after lung cancer, having insight into the underlying narrative on values and the good life, priorities in daily life, social context and the norms embedded in people's self-understanding is crucial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using qualitative methodology, the authors explored the experiences of 8 clients who received a 5‐minute mindfulness meditation (MM) as implemented by 6 counseling students during a counseling session. Themes that emerged included (a) variations in individual experiences; (b) mental, physical, and emotional components of the experience; (c) perceptions of MM; (d) preferences for MM; and (e) implications for continued practice of MM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This curious essay explores an uncanny fact: Practicing psychology is one way I live my life, and one way our larger life lives through me. Although obvious, the significance of what is obvious is often not so obvious. This study (re)considers the relationship between one's vocation and one's larger existence, showing how an intimately personal and simultaneously transpersonal quality operates (mostly unconsciously) in our daily work. Consciously appreciating this can deepen—even hallow—our practice, for the benefit of those we are serving. This inquiry includes reflexive musings on personal and transpersonal dimensions of interpretative reflexivity, with implications for qualitative research, psychotherapy, ecopsychology, and beyond. Existential questions regarding ethics, time, love, life, and life's calling are explored through personal stories, phenomenology, contemplative spirituality, and poetry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the predominant contemporary and traditional coping strategies adopted in Zimbabwe in the past three decades and beyond, challenges and issues related to inheritance continued to affect the livelihood of both orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) and their caregivers. This article is a qualitative phenomenological study seeking to examine the perceptions, views, and feelings of the OVC and their caregivers on their lived experiences in OVC care and support in Zimbabwe. The study focusses on the caregivers' perspectives of the impact of the inheritance experiences in OVC care and support within their tribal local rural communities. In‐depth narrative interviews were conducted with 30 caregivers, corroborated with 10 OVC purposively sampled in the Gutu District of Zimbabwe. The results showed that although the caregivers are doing their best in executing their strategies for OVC care and support, the manipulation and misappropriation of the inheritances from deceased parents or grandparents that were meant to benefit the OVCs are still widespread in the rural communities of Zimbabwe. In conclusion, the study recommends the need for an integrated stakeholders' approach in educating the local rural communities about their inheritance rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the experiences of health care professionals who participated in monthly narrative oncology groups. Ten professionals participated in separate, semi-structured, face-to-face interviews. Using a qualitative research design, the transcriptions of the interviews were analyzed using a phenomenological approach. The analysis yielded descriptive information about the professionals’ positive experiences of participating in narrative oncology sessions and provides insight into the importance of such a group through five themes: (1) Shared perspectives and bearing witness, (2) Comfort in confidentiality and a safe-space, (3) Group-care becomes self-care, (4) Writing gives structure, and (5) Patient stories. Implications for incorporating narrative intervention in an oncology setting are discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current medical education provides insufficient training in clinical empathy, which is important when caring for mentally ill patients Reading and discussing poetry are promising methods for developing clinical empathy. This qualitative study aims to improve empathy in medical students and practitioners towards patients with depression, by creating poetry as a medical education intervention. Five patients with depression shared their lived experience of depression in focus groups. For each of the nine major symptoms of depression, three types of poems were created: found poems using poetic condensation of phenomenological data, thematic poems based on thematic analysis, and freestyle poems. Participants with depression evaluated the poems. 26 out of 30 poems were felt to capture the lived experience of depression, and all three types of poetry were effective. Incidentally, themes of stigmatization and lack of empathy also emerged. Further directions include publishing and studying whether these poems improve empathy in medical trainees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An interpretative phenomenological study of newlywed couple leisure was conducted to understand the role of leisure in the development of relationship dynamics and couple identity. Nine couples were interviewed twice, using open-ended questions that explored the role of leisure in their relationship development. Data were analyzed using interpretive phenomenological processes. Couples viewed leisure as a crucial part of their relationships, helping them develop their identities as couples through creating shared meaning and opportunities to improve communication and conflict management skills. Findings can be used to encourage couple exploration of positive leisure experiences during courtship and early marriage, including therapeutic interventions and relationship education programs that teach couples to incorporate joint leisure strategically into their relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The authors conducted a 3‐phase investigation into the credible standards for phenomenological research practices identified in the literature and endorsed by a sample of counselor education qualitative research experts. Utilizing a mixed‐methods approach, the findings offer evidence that professional counseling has a distinctive format in which phenomenological research is produced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and objective The aim of this study was to examine how hospitalised, surgical lung cancer patients experience talking to a former patient, and how the former patient experiences the role as supportive. Background During hospitalisation, patients often create a community in which they can engage with fellow patients. The exchange of experiences with others in a similar situation might increase opportunities for support and complement nursing care, but there is a need for more evidence and understanding on the topic. Design The methodological framework is based on the French philosopher Paul Ricoeur's text interpretation theory. Qualitative interviews were conducted with nine patients, including a peer informant, using a narrative structure. The analysis was conducted on three levels: (i) naïve reading, (ii) structural analysis and (iii) critical interpretation . Results Four themes were developed from the analysis of the interviews: Exchanging emotional thoughts is easier with a peer; Talking to a peer reduces loneliness; Being ambiguous about a relationship with fellow patients; and Being the main person in the conversation with a peer. Sharing stories about having similar symptoms and undergoing similar journeys predominated, and the key feature of the contact between patients was the commonality of their stories. Critical interpretation and conclusion Telling one's story to a former patient, and thereby creating a joint, common story, is the essence of this study. The support received in this process can be empowering because knowledge of the illness experience is shared and increased. This can help create new coping strategies. The contact with a former patient offered a way to confirm one's thoughts and to find a way out of the illness perspective, by seeing how the former patient had recovered. Relevance to clinical practice The nursing field faces challenges in the relational aspect of caring because of ever greater efficient and shortened hospital stays; therefore, the peer support concept is becoming increasingly relevant. Patient peers offer each other their own perspectives, and it is important to raise awareness of the value of this and incorporate it into patient stays in hospital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Persons with dementia have described life in nursing home as difficult and lonely. Persons with dementia often reside in nursing homes for several years; therefore, knowledge is needed about how quality of life is affected in the nursing-home setting in order to be able to provide the best possible care. The aim of this study was to investigate the personal experience of living in a nursing home over time from the perspective of the person with dementia and to learn what makes life better or worse in the nursing home.Methods: A phenomenological hermeneutic research design was applied. Unstructured, face-to-face interviews and field observations were conducted twice, three months apart.Results: Twelve persons residing in three different nursing homes were included. The analysis revealed four themes: "Being in the nursing home is okay, but you must take things as they are"; "Everything is gone"; "Things that make it better and things that make it worse"; and "Persons - for better or worse? Staff, family, and co-residents".Conclusions: Persons with dementia are able to communicate their feelings and thoughts about their lives in the nursing home and can name several factors that have impacts on their quality of life. They differentiate between members of the staff, and they prefer their primary nurse. They are content with life in general, but everyday life is boring, and their sense of contentment is based on acceptance of certain facts of reality and their ability to adjust their expectations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of the study was to increase the scope of knowledge regarding the perception of occupational therapy (OT) practitioners working in the emergency department (ED). A literature review identified a gap in knowledge of OT practitioners working in the ED. Methods: The 10 participants in this study were registered and licensed OT practitioners working at five acute-care settings with experience working in the ED in Pennsylvania hospitals. A qualitative phenomenological research study was conducted using semi-structured interviews of participants' lived experiences. Results: Using qualitative data analysis program Atlas.ti 7®, the central themes discovered were discharge recommendations that ensure patient safety, the next step, lack of education, and factors affecting the future of OT in the ED. The roles identified by participants included performing safety assessments, recommending equipment, and education. The perception of OT practitioners regarding other health care professionals was that OT services were positive and beneficial to staff. Conclusion: The OT practitioners reported a positive perception of their work, including quality of patient care with regard to patient safety and decreasing return visits to the ED. It is believed that OT in the ED will expand in the future; however, limitations include lack of education and physical organization of the ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the findings from a phenomenological, qualitative research study that explored the personal constructs of an inaugural class, entering a newly-established direct-entry, preferred admission, pre-pharmacy program at a private, selective, Midwestern university with an enrollment of 3000. The focus of the study was to appraise students' perceptions regarding their rationale for pursuing a future career in pharmacy. The sample consisted of 36 students (26 females, 10 males). Data was collected via in-depth interviews of each student who had enrolled in the first year of the program. Overall, students demonstrated their belief that they would be a good fit for the pharmacy field and looked forward to enjoying their future profession. Participants also expressed having a penchant for science and healthcare, and having previously interacted with pharmacists and the pharmacy field prior to entering college. Benefits such as salary, job security, and prestige were of secondary importance to students, but they played a role nonetheless, and encouragement from parents and other respected individuals also was significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Counselor education doctoral students are influenced by many factors as they train to become supervisors. One of these factors, self-efficacy beliefs, plays an important role in supervisor development. In this phenomenological, qualitative research, 16 counselor education doctoral students participated in focus groups and discussed their experiences and perceptions of self-efficacy as supervisors. Data analyses revealed four themes associated with self-efficacy beliefs: ambivalence in the middle tier of supervision, influential people, receiving performance feedback, and conducting evaluations. Recommendations for counselor education and supervision, as well as future research, are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present a qualitative, phenomenologically oriented case study of what it was like for one of the authors to lose her psychoanalyst to cancer. Drawing on work by Finlay and Evans, the study incorporates a descriptive, reflective and engaged mode of empirical inquiry that draws on both authors’ feelings and responses during the research cycle in order to understand and co-construct the meaning and significance of the death of a psychoanalyst. Reasons for choosing our research methodology are discussed in the introduction, followed by a literature review. The subsequent phenomenological analysis, incorporating verbatim quotes from Diana’s account of her analyst’s illness and death, illustrates her embodied sense of connection with him, the impossibility of sharing her feelings of shock and loss with family and friends and the long-lasting sense of isolation that ensued. Diana’s experiences are discussed in the light of relational perspectives on loss and mourning. Finally, the nature of the relationship established between the two authors in carrying out the study is examined as a significant component of the study as well as a crucial source of information. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Objectives: The purposes of this study were to (a) explore experiences of adversity and (b) to examine perceptions of growth following adversity among elite female athletes. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five elite female athletes (ages 18–23 years) who competed internationally in track and field, swimming, long-distance running, and basketball. Interviews were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological approach (Smith, Flowers, & Larkin, 2009). Results: Incidents of performance slumps, coach conflicts, bullying, eating disorders, sexual abuse, and injuries were reported. The shared ‘essential’ features of participants’ experiences of adversity were isolation/withdrawal, emotional disruption, questioning identity as an athlete, and understanding experiences within a context of perceived expectations. It appeared that as participants sought and found meaning in their experiences, they identified opportunities for growth associated with social support and also as they realized the role of sport in their lives. Aspects of growth include realizing strength, gaining perspective of their problems, and gaining a desire to help others. Athletes’ experiences with adversity were seen as part of an ongoing journey through elite sport. Conclusions: Athletes’ experiences of adversity may have initiated a process of questioning their identities and searching for meaning in their experiences. Findings highlighted the complexity associated with social support and athletes’ growth following adversity. Growth following adversity appears to be a valuable area of research among elite athletes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nursing staff that work with patients with frontal lobe dementia (FLD) experience challenges that may lead to physical and psychiatric distress. The aim of this study was to capture the feelings, experiences, and reflections of the health staff regarding interactions with and caring for patients with FLD and to highlight what it means for health staff to care for patients with FLD through their daily work. This is a qualitative study with a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. Ten health staff members who work with patients with FLD were interviewed using semistructered interviews. The focus during the interview was the experiences of the staff through their everyday work. The interviews were recorded and then transcribed verbatim. The material was analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutic approach. The result of the study identifies three themes that highlight the meaning of caregiving for patients with FLD, that is, being aware of the relationship with the patients, being insecure, and being safe. The patients' unpredictable behaviour puts the relationship between the staff and the patients on trial. It is essential in caregiving to see the human behind the disease and the behaviour. The interest of finding new solutions in the caregiving is awakened through the relation with the patients, through reflections with colleagues, external guidance and by support from the staff leader. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted in-depth interviews with 24 tall college females for the present phenomenological, qualitative research study. As tall females in our study described the impact of height on their social lives, three key height-related outcomes emerged. First, participants reported experiencing connections with other tall females because of mutual understandings, shared experiences, and self-perceptions of “fitting in” more when socializing with these tall friends. In addition, the women gave similar accounts of unintended intimidation resulting from their height that tended to occur mostly as they met new people. Furthermore, females had similar personal, height-related dating convictions, such as strict no-short-guys policies and their frustrations regarding what they creatively labeled as “wasted space.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This phenomenological qualitative study was designed to understand how spirituality serves as a protective factor, mediating adverse developmental outcomes, for adolescents exposed to domestic violence. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 14 adolescents, recruited through an agency for domestic violence survivors. Four significant themes (learning from experiences, self-expression, beliefs, and feelings), through which participants’ spirituality manifested as a strength, emerged. This study adds to the growing support spirituality has received as a protective factor for at-risk adolescents and provides several practice implications. Future research is also suggested to better understand the developmental process by which spirituality serves as a protective factor. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This qualitative study explored older women's qualitative accounts regarding their strategies for maintaining or adapting their participation in visual art-making in the context of arthritis. Ten participants were interviewed, aged 62-81 years, all having lived with arthritis for at least 7 years. Interpretative phenomenological analysis identified four convergent themes. Participants described adapting their strategies of art-making in ways that maintained the aesthetic quality of their artwork while also accommodating their arthritis. They described devising more accessible creative spaces. Planning, design, and anticipating new creative activities enhanced choice and control during flares in symptoms. Positive attitudes toward self-managing illness informed the practical adaptations described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]