TY - JOUR
T1 - Holding a Place
T2 - Parents' Lives Following Removal of Infant Life Support
AU - Armentrout, Debra C.
PY - 2007/3
Y1 - 2007/3
N2 - There are 34 000 neonatal deaths occurring annually in the United States, many of which occur after removal of life support. The purposes of this grounded theory study were to explore and describe parents' experiences with making the decision to discontinue life support for their critically ill infant and to identify the process that allows them to then move forward with their lives after the infant's death. Data were generated by face-to-face and telephone interviews with a theoretical sample of 15 parents. Three thematic concepts with subthemes emerged: Facing the Decision (No Real Choice, Time with the Infant), Life Goes On (Listen to Your Heart, An Abiding Loss, Not Left Out), and Lives Forever Changed (New Perspectives, Preparing to Meet Again). The substantive theory, The Process of Holding a Place, describes the basic social process parents used to carry their deceased infant forward with them in their daily lives.
AB - There are 34 000 neonatal deaths occurring annually in the United States, many of which occur after removal of life support. The purposes of this grounded theory study were to explore and describe parents' experiences with making the decision to discontinue life support for their critically ill infant and to identify the process that allows them to then move forward with their lives after the infant's death. Data were generated by face-to-face and telephone interviews with a theoretical sample of 15 parents. Three thematic concepts with subthemes emerged: Facing the Decision (No Real Choice, Time with the Infant), Life Goes On (Listen to Your Heart, An Abiding Loss, Not Left Out), and Lives Forever Changed (New Perspectives, Preparing to Meet Again). The substantive theory, The Process of Holding a Place, describes the basic social process parents used to carry their deceased infant forward with them in their daily lives.
KW - Neonatal life support
KW - Newborn death
KW - Perinatal loss
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=33847067188&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=33847067188&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1053/j.nainr.2006.12.009
DO - 10.1053/j.nainr.2006.12.009
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:33847067188
SN - 1527-3369
VL - 7
SP - e4-e11
JO - Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews
JF - Newborn and Infant Nursing Reviews
IS - 1
ER -