Lived Experience of Grieving of Thai Buddhist Husbands Who Had Lost Their Wives From Critical Illness

Abstract

Purpose To describe the meanings of the lived experiences of grieving of Thai Buddhist husbands who had lost their wives from critical illnesses. Design Hermeneutic phenomenological approach using van Manen's concepts. Seven husbands from southern Thailand who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. Methods Individual in‐depth interviews were conducted and recorded on tape, while the interview data were transcribed and analyzed following van Manen's phenomenological approach. Trustworthiness was established using Lincoln and Guba's criteria. Findings Five thematic categories described the meanings of the experiences, which were reflective of the four lived worlds of body, relation, space, and time. The lived world of body was “loss of thoughtful focus and energy,” the lived world of relation was characterized by “surrendering attachment with the deceased” and “attachment to the children,” the lived space reflected “social connection,” and lived time was “healing time.” Conclusions The grief experience did not seem to be complicated, and the hoped‐for experience was being healed through surrendering attachment with the deceased while maintaining attachment with children and social connection. The model of grieving may contribute to the knowledge of nursing care processes, specifically in palliative and end‐of‐life care, and other care processes for healthcare professionals. Clinical Relevance Hospital administrators can clearly support a bereavement service to provide a continuum of after‐death care for Buddhist males. Nurses and healthcare providers can develop a bereavement care process by valuing the religious principles integrating social interaction for male bereaved husbands.