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Tae, Kwon, Lee, and Bae: Endless Management of Mind and Body for Healing: The Process of Pursuing Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Patients with Breast Cancer
Original Article

Korean Journal of Adult Nursing 2015; 27(6): 728-741.

Published online: 31 December 2015

DOI: https://doi.org/10.7475/kjan.2015.27.6.728

Endless Management of Mind and Body for Healing: The Process of Pursuing Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Patients with Breast Cancer

Young Sook Tae1, Suhye Kwon1, Young Sook Lee2, Ju Young Bae3

1College of Nursing, Kosin University, Busan, Korea.

2Department of Nursing, Gyeongju University, Gyeongju, Korea.

3Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Busan, Korea.

Corresponding author: Kwon, Suhye. College of Nursing, Kosin University, 262 Gamcheon-ro, Seo-gu, Busan 602-702, Korea. Tel: +82-51-990-3955, Fax: +82-51-990-3970, 113009@kosin.ac.kr

Received 25 August 2015       Revised 8 December 2015       Accepted 8 December 2015

© 2015 Korean Society of Adult Nursing

(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 explore and describe the experience of pursuing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in breast cancer patients.

Methods

Ten women with breast cancer participated in the study. Data were collected through individual in-depth unstructured and individualized interviews with each participant from February to July, 2015. Theoretical sampling was used upto the point of theoretical saturation. Data were analyzed using Corbin & Strauss's grounded theory methodology.

Results

Through open coding, 22 sub-categories, and 13 categories were identified. Analysis revealed that the core category was ‘endless management of mind and body for healing’, which consisted of four phases; exploring, applying, grasping, and integrating. Through this process, the participants utilized various action/interactional strategies such as ‘dealing with information’, ‘trying out blindly’, ‘enduring volitionally’, ‘experiencing effects on mind and body,’ and ‘grasping one's own way.’ The consequences of these strategies were integrating the habit of health remedy into one's life, becoming a main agent for change, and tolerating one's weak body.

Conclusion

In-depth understanding of the CAM pursuing experiences of patients with breast cancer would guide clinical nurses and policy makers to develop effective interventions and policies for better supporting them with regard to the usage of CAM.

Keywords: Breast neoplasms, Complementary medicine, Alternative medicine, Qualitative research

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

The process of endless management of mind and body for healing

kjan-27-728-g001
Table 1

Relationships among the Categories using a Paradigm Model

kjan-27-728-i001

Notes

This study was supported by the research fund of Kosin University in 2014.

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