Parents' Experiences of their Children Bone Marrow Transplantation: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

Introduction: It is an unfamiliar, frightening and stressful experience for the parents of a child who is undergoing bone marrow transplantation. It is impossible to propose an effective caring method without considering all dimensions related to such experience.
Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe and understand the lived experiences of parents whose children were undergoing bone marrow transplantation process.
Methods: This research was a phenomenological study in which parents of 6 children with bone marrow transplantation were participated. Data collection method was semi- structured and profound, in-depth, face to face interviews. Data then were analyzed using interpretative phenomenological approach.
Results: Four major themes emerged from the data: 1) pending between dread and hope of the transplantation result, 2) exalting spirituality, 3) worry about circumstantial difficulties, and finally 4) life lessons learned.
Conclusion: During bone marrow transplantation process, parents of the children who undergoing transplantation, are experiencing a lot of problems, affections, difficulties, dreads, tensions, emotional conflictions and at the same time they learn a lot.
Implications for Practice: It should be acknowledged for nurses to be more sensitive to pay attention to parents' needs during their children bone marrow transplantation. Nurses need to recognize the power of spiritual factors which may help parents in coping with circumstantial difficulties of the bone marrow transplantation.