2019 Volume 28 Pages 173-181
Purpose: To elucidate the process by which adults with congenital heart disease (hereafter, patients) seek employment, work, and continuing its career while coping with the disease.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine patients in their 20 s and 30 s, and the results were analyzed using a Modified Grounded Theory Approach.
Results: In addition to the core category of living life as a long distance runner, we identified eight other categories: heart disease in its permanent state, facing harsh realities, increasing interest in my heart, meeting people who understand, finding the meaning of existence, cherishing my body, trying to keep working long-term, and premonitions of heart function deteriorating eventually.
Conclusion: The process of finding a job was multilayered and circular, requiring patients to rebuild relationships, and learn how to continue to survive and find their place in society. Nurses must promote an awareness of the importance of understanding the circumstances of the patients, as they seek employment and explore the meaning of existence.
