PURPOSE
The main purpose of this study was to observe the adaptation experience process of adolescents with hematologic malignancies. METHODS: The Grounded Theory Method, developed by Strauss & Corbin (1998), was used in this study. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with 10 adolescents with cancer. Data collection and analysis occurred concurrently. Theoretical sampling technique was used until the data reached saturation.
RESULTS
"A deviated life" was verified as the central phenomenon for adolescents with cancer. The adaptation experience process was divided into 3 steps: "Self-confusion", "Reinterpretation", and "Regeneration of self". Through these 3 steps, the adolescents with hematologic malignancies fitted a new life by self-integration. CONCLUSION: The results of this study provide a frame for individualized nursing intervention strategies in helping with the psychosocial adaptation of adolescents with hematologic malignancies.
