Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Standing alone when life takes an unexpected turn: being a midlife next of kin of a relative who has suffered a myocardial infarction.

Andersson, Ewa Kazimiera ; Borglin, Gunilla LU ; Sjöström-Strand, Annica LU and Willman, Ania LU (2013) In Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences 27(4). p.864-871
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Suffering a myocardial infarction (MI) is a life-threatening event that impacts not only on the individual concerned but also on the next of kin. However, there seems to be a paucity of naturalistic inquiries that focus specifically on midlife next of kin and their experience of being close to a relative who has suffered an MI. This study aims to elucidate the experience of being a midlife next of kin of a relative who has suffered a myocardial infarction. METHOD: Nine women and four men in midlife participated in the focused interviews, which were conducted and analysed during 2010/2011 using Lindseths and Norbergs' description of the phenomenological hermeneutical method. FINDINGS: Four themes - Solely responsible, Lurking... (More)
BACKGROUND: Suffering a myocardial infarction (MI) is a life-threatening event that impacts not only on the individual concerned but also on the next of kin. However, there seems to be a paucity of naturalistic inquiries that focus specifically on midlife next of kin and their experience of being close to a relative who has suffered an MI. This study aims to elucidate the experience of being a midlife next of kin of a relative who has suffered a myocardial infarction. METHOD: Nine women and four men in midlife participated in the focused interviews, which were conducted and analysed during 2010/2011 using Lindseths and Norbergs' description of the phenomenological hermeneutical method. FINDINGS: Four themes - Solely responsible, Lurking unease, Left out of the picture and Life on hold - formed the basis of the core theme Standing alone when life takes an unexpected turn. The core theme was interpreted as a central phenomenon encompassing the experience of being solely responsible for the well-being of their relative and the family, thus putting their own life on hold. The core theme also reflected the next of kin's experience of being left out of the picture when it came to the relative's care before and after the MI. CONCLUSION: The next of kin's negative feelings of standing alone were further intensified by their experience of being left out of the picture by the healthcare professionals concerning their relative's care. As a cardiac nurse, it would seem essential to have knowledge about the experiences of next of kin in connection with a relative's MI event. Such knowledge can facilitate the planning and organisation of nursing care and at the same time address the next of kin's role in the recovery and rehabilitation process. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences
volume
27
issue
4
pages
864 - 871
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • wos:000328140200011
  • pmid:23072259
  • scopus:84886595014
  • pmid:23072259
ISSN
1471-6712
DOI
10.1111/j.1471-6712.2012.01094.x
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Division of Nursing (Closed 2012) (013065000)
id
3e000895-24ca-4aa9-80b5-677b5674618e (old id 3160658)
alternative location
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23072259?dopt=Abstract
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:36:07
date last changed
2022-01-26 00:45:12
@article{3e000895-24ca-4aa9-80b5-677b5674618e,
  abstract     = {{BACKGROUND: Suffering a myocardial infarction (MI) is a life-threatening event that impacts not only on the individual concerned but also on the next of kin. However, there seems to be a paucity of naturalistic inquiries that focus specifically on midlife next of kin and their experience of being close to a relative who has suffered an MI. This study aims to elucidate the experience of being a midlife next of kin of a relative who has suffered a myocardial infarction. METHOD: Nine women and four men in midlife participated in the focused interviews, which were conducted and analysed during 2010/2011 using Lindseths and Norbergs' description of the phenomenological hermeneutical method. FINDINGS: Four themes - Solely responsible, Lurking unease, Left out of the picture and Life on hold - formed the basis of the core theme Standing alone when life takes an unexpected turn. The core theme was interpreted as a central phenomenon encompassing the experience of being solely responsible for the well-being of their relative and the family, thus putting their own life on hold. The core theme also reflected the next of kin's experience of being left out of the picture when it came to the relative's care before and after the MI. CONCLUSION: The next of kin's negative feelings of standing alone were further intensified by their experience of being left out of the picture by the healthcare professionals concerning their relative's care. As a cardiac nurse, it would seem essential to have knowledge about the experiences of next of kin in connection with a relative's MI event. Such knowledge can facilitate the planning and organisation of nursing care and at the same time address the next of kin's role in the recovery and rehabilitation process.}},
  author       = {{Andersson, Ewa Kazimiera and Borglin, Gunilla and Sjöström-Strand, Annica and Willman, Ania}},
  issn         = {{1471-6712}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{4}},
  pages        = {{864--871}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences}},
  title        = {{Standing alone when life takes an unexpected turn: being a midlife next of kin of a relative who has suffered a myocardial infarction.}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-6712.2012.01094.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1471-6712.2012.01094.x}},
  volume       = {{27}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}