The Lived Experience of Feeling Cared for: A Human Becoming Perspective

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to answer the research question, What is the structure of the lived experience of feeling cared for? The participants were 10 women volunteers who were struggling with lack of economic, social, or interpersonal resources and who were or had been homeless. The Parse research method, a phenomenological-hermeneutic method, was used to discover the meaning of feeling cared for. The major finding of this study is the structure: Feeling cared for is contentment with intimate affiliations arising with salutary endeavors, while honoring uniqueness amid adversity. The structure provides knowledge about feeling cared for and its connection to health and quality of life. Feeling cared for is discussed in relation to the principles and concepts of human becoming and in relation to how it can inform nursing practice and future research.