Keywords
Husserl, Giorgi, contextual, dynamic, enduring
Abstract
Conventional approaches to cancer treatment typically do not address the personal experiences of the women with breast cancer. The aim of this study was to develop a structural description of the lived experience of women with breast cancer who create art, specifically through painting, sketching or drawing. A phenomenological approach was employed to explore the meaning of creating art for four women with a diagnosis of breast cancer. The philosophical underpinnings for this study were based on the phenomenological method of bracketing which allows the researcher and subjects to focus on lived experience. This qualitative methodology provided a means to examine the phenomenon of interest in depth from the participants' subjective perspective. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews and follow up telephone conversations. Giorgi's method for analyzing phenomenological data was used to elicit an invariant description of the meaning that creating art had for the participants. Three predominate themes emerged from the analysis. Contextual constituents of the phenomenon were identified as that of giving back and time to create. Dynamic components consisted of creative space and creative expression. Enduring factors consisted of the creative experience and sense of self. Nurses are in a unique position to facilitate the creative art process which holds the potential for self-healing and self-responsibility for their patients. Included are limitations of the study and recommendations for future research.
Notes
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Graduation Date
2010
Advisor
Bushy, Angeline
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
College
College of Health and Public Affairs
Department
Nursing
Degree Program
Nursing
Format
application/pdf
Identifier
CFE0003208
URL
http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0003208
Language
English
Release Date
August 2010
Length of Campus-only Access
None
Access Status
Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)
STARS Citation
Stark, Laurie, "A Phenomenological Description Of The Lived Experience Of Creating Art For Women With Breast Cancer" (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 4301.
https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/4301