Emotions and care experiences of female caregivers whose relatives are hospitalized in the intensive care unit in the context of gender roles: A qualitative research

One of the duties that gender roles impose on women is caregiving. For women who begin their lives with the roles of being affectionate, emotional and merciful by the patriarchal system, being a primary caregiver inevitably falls into their areas of responsibility. Women who are crushed under the burden of care have to cope with various negative emotions and experiences. This study focuses on the emotions and experiences of female caregivers whose relatives are in the intensive care unit when the care work moves to the intensive care unit. 20 women whose relatives were hospitalized in the intensive care unit of Burdur Bucak State Hospital participated in the study. The research was conducted with qualitative research technique. Semi-structured interview questions were asked to the participants and the emotions and experiences they felt during the process were tried to be examined. The audio-recorded interviews were later transcribed and subjected to content analysis. In the research findings, it was found that female caregivers whose relatives were in the intensive care unit felt sadness, uneasiness, hopelessness, guilt, anxiety, deficiency, helplessness and fear. It is also among the findings that female caregivers have to physically cope with pain and insomnia. It has also been observed that women who provide care put their own needs in the background and feel responsible for care.