Gunn Jennie, Huebner Carroll Gunn, McCoy Kristen
Jennie Gunn is a Professor, University of South Alabama, College of Nursing, Mobile, AL. The author can be reached via e-mail at
MCN Am J Matern Child Nurs. 2018 May/Jun;43(3):126-132. doi: 10.1097/NMC.0000000000000429.
To explore the lived experience of women over the age of 21 who lost their mothers before the age of 18.
Using qualitative methodology, motherless child-adult women were gathered through emails, word of mouth, and snowballing techniques. Interviews were conducted at the convenience of the women. The women coparticipated with identification of emerging themes using thematic analysis.
Eight women who lost their mothers before the age of 18 participated. Eight themes emerged: (1) Understanding: For wounded hearts only; (2) Coming apart: Finding my mother's daughter and self-worth; (3) Unconditional love: Grieving for and identifying with my champion; (4) Finding help: Filling the empty place with God; (5) Pitying the motherless child: Making it worse; (6) Filling in: Others as mother; (7) The ebb and flow: Grieving; and (8) Becoming mother: Taking on the Role.
The nurse has the opportunity to improve care for women who lost their mothers before the age of 18 years. During pregnancy, childbirth, and childrearing, the woman may feel sad and anxious without the guidance of her mother. Special ways of caring may be instituted to provide her comfort such as allowing and encouraging her to bring a special item of her mother's to procedures and events so that she may feel connected with her, allowing someone to stand in for her mother, perhaps assisting in finding of another motherless child adult to be with her as needed, and the voicing of understanding of her loss while remaining nonjudgmental about her emotions during these times.
探讨21岁以上在18岁之前失去母亲的女性的生活经历。
采用定性研究方法，通过电子邮件、口口相传和滚雪球技术收集失去母亲的成年女性。访谈在女性方便的时候进行。女性共同参与使用主题分析法识别新出现的主题。
8名在18岁之前失去母亲的女性参与了研究。出现了8个主题：（1）理解：只为受伤的心；（2）分崩离析：寻找母亲的女儿和自我价值；（3）无条件的爱：为我的捍卫者悲伤并认同她；（4）寻求帮助：用上帝填补空缺；（5）怜悯失去母亲的孩子：让情况更糟；（6）填补空缺：他人作为母亲；（7）潮起潮落：悲伤；（8）成为母亲：承担角色。
护士有机会改善对18岁之前失去母亲的女性的护理。在怀孕、分娩和育儿期间，没有母亲的指导，女性可能会感到悲伤和焦虑。可以采取特殊的护理方式来给予她安慰，比如允许并鼓励她在手术和活动中带上母亲的特殊物品，以便她能感觉与母亲相连；允许有人替代她的母亲；或许协助她找到另一位失去母亲的成年女性在需要时陪伴她；在理解她的损失的同时，对她在这些时期的情绪不做评判。
