Abstract
To understand nurses' perception of the wishes and feelings of children with progressive muscular dystrophy, the Leininger ethnonursing method was used. The participants in the study were eight nurses as key informants and sixteen general informants, who consisted of nurses, family members, a teacher at school for handicapped children, a physician and four children with muscular dystrophy.
The major theme was that although it was painful for nurses to be aware of children's frustration over loss of movement, nurses should notice the children's signs and become involved. The results indicate that it is important for nurses to approach and listen carefully to children when they notice any irritation in the children if the nurses are concerned about the children's expressions or voices.
