Open AccessThe Lived Experience of First-Time Expectant Fathers Whose Spouses Are Tocolyzed in Hospital
Author(s) -
Yu-Hui Hsieh,
Chien-Huei Kao,
MeeiLing Gau
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the journal of nursing research/the journal of nursing research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.537
H-Index - 32
eISSN - 1948-965X
pISSN - 1682-3141
DOI - 10.1097/01.jnr.0000387563.49565.22
Subject(s) - feeling , dilemma , nursing , psychology , qualitative research , descriptive research , lived experience , medicine , developmental psychology , social psychology , sociology , psychotherapist , social science , philosophy , epistemology
The purpose of this study is to explore the experiences of first-time expectant fathers whose spouses undergo tocolysis in the hospital. The study was conducted by the descriptive phenomenological method. On the basis of the qualitative method, the data were subjected to Colaizzi's content analysis by means of the constant comparison method. Data were collected through one-on-one interviews with six expectant fathers. The findings revealed that the experiences of the fathers could be summarized under the following five themes: being confused and absent-minded in an awkward situation, facing difficulty and attempting to identify solutions, breaking through the dilemma, looking forward to being a father, and looking back with complicated feelings. The findings of this study should provide nursing staff in charge of family- centered maternity care with information about how tocolysis influences the families of first-born babies. They should also contribute to improvements in nursing quality.