Purpose
The purpose of this study was to understand and explore the essences of Korean mothers‘ experiences of caring for visually impaired children.
Methods
Data were collected through individual in-depth interviews using open-ended questions. Five mothers of children with visual impairments participated in the interviews. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed using phenomenological analysis.
Results
Analysis with Colaizzi’s method showed two categories which included 14 themes in 4 theme clusters. The first category was ‘surviving in the dark reality’ included 2 theme clusters, of ‘outcrying in the darkness’ and ‘enduring the darkness while caring for my child alone’. The second category was ‘living as the light of maternal affection’ including 2 theme clusters of ‘preparing the light to shine in the darkness’ and ‘going through the darkness with the lights of love’.
Conclusion
The findings from this study provide deep understanding of mothers‘ experiences of caring for visually impaired children. Based on the results of the study, health professionals can develop effective family nursing interventions to improve the quality of life for these families including the visually impaired children and their mothers.