Entering a World with No Future: A phenomenological study describing the embodied experience of time when living with severe incurable diseaseShow others and affiliations
2013 (English)In: Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, ISSN 0283-9318, E-ISSN 1471-6712, Vol. 27, no 1, p. 165-174Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Resource type
Text
Abstract [en]
A phenomenological study describing the embodied experience of time when living with severe incurable disease This article presents findings from a phenomenological study exploring experience of time by patients living close to death. The empirical data consist of 26 open-ended interviews from 23 patients living with severe incurable disease receiving palliative care in Norway. Three aspects of experience of time were revealed as prominent: (i) Entering a world with no future; living close to death alters perception of and relationship to time. (ii) Listening to the rhythm of my body, not looking at the clock; embodied with severe illness, it is the body not the clock that structures and controls the activities of the day. (iii). Receiving time, taking time; being offered - not asked for - help is like receiving time that confirms humanity, in contrast to having to ask for help which is like taking others time and thereby revealing own helplessness. Experience of time close to death is discussed as an embodied experience of inner, contextual, relational dimensions in harmony and disharmony with the rhythm of nature, environment and others. Rhythms in harmony provide relief, while rhythms in disharmony confer weakness and limit time. © 2012 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2012 Nordic College of Caring Science.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2013. Vol. 27, no 1, p. 165-174
Keywords [en]
experience of time, palliative care, embodied, rhythm, phenomenology, health worker-patient interaction
National Category
Nursing
Research subject
Health and Caring Sciences, Caring Science
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-30440DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2012.01019.xISI: 000314819900023PubMedID: 22708714Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84873481112OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hh-30440DiVA, id: diva2:920893
Projects
Doctoral project
Note
The research is funded by Haraldsplass Deaconess University College.
2012-12-012016-03-032017-11-30Bibliographically approved