Networking, coping, and communicating about a medical crisis: A phenomenological inquiry of transplant recipient communication

Through a phenomenological framework the authors attempt to shed light on t he communication processes of organ transplant recipients when discussing t ransplantation and related topics. Eight essential themes (awareness, suppo rt, commitment, pride, education, mentoring, comparison, and community) eme rged from 37 participants as central to the communicative experiences of tr ansplant recipients and their families. Additional insight was generated th rough a 2nd tier of focus group discussions resulting in a proposed model o f transplant recipient communication. An interpretation of the model, impli cations for future research, and implications for praxis are presented.