Having courage: a lived experience of human becoming

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Qualitative Research
• Human Experience

Background:

• Understanding the lived experience of courage is crucial in healthcare.
• Spinal cord injuries present unique challenges influencing personal attributes like courage.
• Existing literature lacks a detailed structure of the courage experience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To uncover the structure of the lived experience of having courage.
• To advance knowledge regarding the concept of human becoming.
• To explore courage within the context of spinal cord injury.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Parse research method, a phenomenological approach.
• Conducted in-depth interviews with 10 individuals with spinal cord injuries.
• Focused on answering the question: What is the structure of the lived experience of having courage?

Main Results:

• The structure of courage is identified as 'fortifying tenacity arising with triumph amid the burdensome'.
• A secondary aspect is 'guarded confidence emerging with the treasured'.
• This structure provides a novel framework for understanding courage.

Conclusions:

• The findings offer a new perspective on the lived experience of courage.
• The study contributes to the theoretical understanding of human becoming.
• Results suggest avenues for future research on courage in diverse populations and contexts.