The Lived Experience of Being a Mother of a Child with Severe Cerebral Palsy

Moore, Linda A.

Degree: Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), University of Toledo Health Science Campus, School of Nursing, 2005.
Abstract: This qualitative study describes the lived experience of five mothers who care for their child with severe cerebral palsy. The phenomenon was elicited utilizing Roy (Roy & Andrews, 1999) adaptation model of nursing as the theoretical framework and phenomenology implementing Colaizzi’s (1978) method of data analysis. The themes identified capture the collective experiences of these women. The study examines an altered mothering role that begins with the diagnosis of the child with severe cerebral palsy and the adaptation necessary to care for the child. It describes how the mothers bonded and communicated with their child. Mothers also described how they dealt with multiple burdens, adapted with and without support and the altered family relationships that resulted. There is a description of the intense emotional responses of these mothers to the experience, and the positive aspects of this parenting experience.
Subject Headings: Health Sciences, Nursing
Keywords: Cerebral Palsy
Advisor: Janet H. Robinson, Ph.D
Pages: 125p.

Document number: mco1115224218
Permalink: http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=mco1115224218