The experiences of parents being with their infants who require long-term hospitalization

Abstract

 The purpose of this study was to describe the experiences of parents being with their infants who require long-term hospitalization. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 parents. A qualitative-inductive method was used to analyze the interview data. Twelve categories, such as the following, emerged from the analysis: “feeling down and hard because of a shocking fact”, “feeling wistful and lonely in being involved with the people around me”, “what I want to do for my child as a parent but can’t do well in the limited situation”, “I can’t help doing my best as a parent”, “my only hope is to be with my child”, “when my child is in pain, it causes distress, and when my child is comfortable, it makes me happy”, “growing up with my child, little by little, through interaction with him/her”, and “with a warm heart and sensitive snuggles, I want you to take good care of my child as a living person”. Parents reported that they experienced difficulties in accomplishing their wishes and desires regarding being with their infants who were under medical care. The results of this study suggested that it is important for parents to treasure their experiences with their infants in various situations and the relationships with the people who were around them during the infant’s medical care.