Husbands' Caring Experiences for Women with Breast Cancer in Korea

Eun Jin Kwon; Myungsun Yi

doi:10.5388/aon.2013.13.1.18

Journal List > Asian Oncol Nurs > v.13(1) > 1081773

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Kwon and Yi: Husbands' Caring Experiences for Women with Breast Cancer in Korea

Original Article

Asian Oncology Nursing

Asian Oncology Nursing 2013; 13(1): 18-27.

Published online: 31 March 2013

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5388/aon.2013.13.1.18

Husbands' Caring Experiences for Women with Breast Cancer in Korea

Eun Jin Kwon¹, Myungsun Yi²

¹Graduate School of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

²College of Nursing, Research Institute of Nursing Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Korea.

Address reprint requests to: Kwon, Eun Jin. Graduate School of Nursing, Seoul National University, 103 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul 110-799, Korea. Tel: +82-2-740-8837, Fax: +82-2-740-8837, etrangere@snu.ac.kr

Received 6 February 2013 Accepted 4 March 2013

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study was to describe the caring experiences of husbands for women with breast cancer in Korea.

Methods

The data were collected by individual in-depth interviews with seven participants during 2010-2012. Transcribed data were analyzed using Colaizzi's phenomenological analysis.

Results

A total of 10 theme clusters were derived from the analysis: Hidden fear of world without wife; Responsibility with guilt for breast cancer; Desperate search for treatment information; Becoming active companion of treatment itinerary; Comfort for wife's hair loss with sympathy; Multitasks undertaken at one time; Gain and loss by coming out publically; Wife-oriented open communication; New alternative sexual life; Everyday life matured by hardship.

Conclusion

The results of the study can help oncology professionals in developing couple counseling programs by providing insights of the husbands' experiences of caring for women with breast cancer.

Keywords: Breast Neoplasms, Qualitative Research, Caregivers, Spouses

Figures and Tables

Table 1

The meaning of husbands' caring experiences for women with breast cancer

Notes

This work was supported by the Research fund of Korean Association for Qualitative Research.

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