Absolute involvement: the experience of mothers of ventilator-dependent children

Home care for a technology dependent child is stressful, costly, and time consuming, yet there is little research concerning the maternal caregiver experience. Sixteen mothers whose children required ventilators participated in this study. Using grounded theory methods, 32 interviews were examined to identify the core variable of absolute involvement, describing the provision of a mother's self-determined standard of care for her child. The Model of Absolute Involvement consisted of the attributes of mothering, meeting the demands of caregiving, and employing strategies of care. Implications for nursing practice are discussed in terms of skills and strategies mothers used during day-to-day activity