Becoming a father or a mother, the first year of the child's life [ : ] an explanatory nursing theoretical model

Abstract

Introduction: Raising a child is a great responsibility and cha[len ge and demands deep transformation and adaptation in the parents’ [ives, This is [ikely to cause imba[ance and vu[nera bi[ity to themse[ves and to have implications in the chi[d’s deve[opment. Objectives: To understand the nature of the transition to parenthood during the chi[d’s first year; to identify the personal, social and communitarian conditions in which it occurs and to understand the nature of its action; and a[so to comprehend the parents’ patterns of response, The aim was to develop a mid-range theory contributing to the improvement of the quality of nursing care provided to the famity during this transition. Methods: Grounded Theory, semi-structured interviews, participant observation, constant comparative approach and theoretica[ samp[ing. Data was co[[ected in the parents’ homes, at five time points, a total of 75 interviews on 43 visits. Five fathers and tive mothers participated in the study. ResuLts: Being a father, being a mother: an interaction-based process in the making is the core category of the exp[anatory theoretica[ mode[ found. T[iis represents the emergence of a force that enables the parent’s personal transformation, motivated to chi[d care and the restore of the necessary strength for the dai[y strugg[e which represents the parenthood. lt demonstrates the continuous movement of the intra and interpersona[ parents’ organization, which outweighs the temporality of the parental condition as an identity reconstruction. Conclusions: The concepts identified enhance the know[edge base of parenthood as a phenomenon and demonstrate a need to reflect on interventions in practice at the leveI of primary hea[th care.