THE UNITARY CARING LIVED EXPERIENCE OF UNCERTAINTY AMONG FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF PERSONS WITH A STROKE DURING THE HOSPITAL STAY IN SAUDI ARABIA

Stroke is a major health problem in Saudi Arabia that impacts the health outcomes of adults and elderly persons. No matter its severity, stroke is a stressful life event not only for the survivors but their family caregivers as well. Uncertainty is one of the major problems facing family caregivers caring for persons with a stroke. Uncertainty affects overall health outcomes and the quality of life of family caregivers caring for persons with strokes. Current research has not yet identified the meaning of the uncertainty of family caregivers of persons with strokes during hospitalization in Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this study was to gain an in-depth understanding of the meaning of uncertainty experienced by family caregivers of persons in the hospital who have survived strokes.
This study used a phenomenological design. Data were collected through in-depth face-to-face and online semi-structured interviews with 15 family caregivers using openended questions. Participants were recruited from inpatient medical units and stroke care units in multi acute care hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, translated, and analyzed using the hermeneutic phenomenological unitary caring research method. NVivo software (Version 12) was used to manage the qualitative data.