A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Exploration of the Early Phase of Healing From Liver Transplant Surgery Guided by Newman’s Theory of Health as Expanded Consciousness

There is a lack of evidence describing the lived experience of the early healing period (72 hours to 6 weeks post-transplant) and its meaning to people undergoing liver transplant surgery. To address this gap, a qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological approach guided by Newman's Theory of Health as Expanding Consciousness was used to describe and interpret the meaning of the early stage of healing post liver transplantation. We conducted 2 semistructured interviews with 9 participants (8 men, 1 woman; ages 31-70 years). Six themes were identified: Waiting to die while preparing to live; Desire to help others as a way of supporting themselves; Misaligned expectations that complicate the healing process; Nonjudgmental, nonstigmatizing healing; Financial and employment difficulties as a barrier to healing; and History of adverse childhood experiences as a barrier to healing. The overarching conceptualization of the study was the awareness of the need to address past traumas as central to whole-person healing. Findings highlight the many educational, psychosocial, financial, and interpersonal challenges faced by this population that should be considered to improve the healing process.