Dialectical contradictions experienced when a loved one is dying in a hospital setting.
A family member who is present when a loved one is dying in a hospital setting may be profoundly affected by interactions with others in that setting, including the dying person. Interaction shapes how one experiences a loved one's death and dying. Framed in relational dialectics theory, this qualitative case study describes dialectical contradictions I experienced in the context of my grandmother dying in a hospital setting. Personal journals were analyzed, with three primary dialectics being identified: certainty-uncertainty, control-lack of control, and autonomy-connection. Understanding dialectical contradictions experienced by a family member when a loved one is dying in a hospital setting could lead to enhanced support services for family members.
Communication Studies Department, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA. mgolden@sfsu.edu
Mindi Ann
MA
Golden
D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000739:Anecdotes as Topic; D001293:Attitude to Death; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology*; D003657:Decision Making; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006780:Hospitals, Rural; D006801:Humans; D011368:Professional-Family Relations; D013727:Terminal Care / Q000379:methods*