Abstract: Mothers, whose children had undergone a liver transplant more than one year ago at time of interview and whose children were outpatients of Starship Children's Hospital, were invited to participate in this research. A Heideggerian hermeneutic phenomenological approach, informed by the work of van Manen (1990) was used. Three mothers of children who had received a liver transplant were interviewed to reveal the meanings of the phenomenon – what is the meaning of lived experience of mothers in caring for their child who has undergone and recovered following liver transplantation? Little previous study regarding mothers' lived experience of caring for their child, who had recovered from a liver transplant, was found in the literature. The emerging themes were punctuated with stress being a consistent feature. Utilising Ruddick's (1983) concepts of maternal thinking, the emerging themes were merged within the three interests governing maternal practice; preservation, growth and acceptability. The absolute capacity for attentive love draws the experience together. An essential theme identified out of the analysis was the concept of survival relating to the unique features of liver transplantation and the consequences of liver rejection and failure. The findings contribute to the understanding of the phenomenon, emphasising the need for good support systems for families of children who have undergone transplantation; assistance in the establishment of maternal coping strategies and regular feedback on the children's progress acknowledging the role and care provided by mothers.

Abstract: Explores nurses' experiences of caring for patients who have had surgery for oral cavity cancer in one NZ hospital, involving wound care, tracheostomy management, oral care, ongoing patient education and the provision of emotional support to patients and families. Interviews three registered nurses about the challenges involved in caring for this patient group; their moral conflict over the effects of surgery on the patients; their professional uncertainty, and the emotional effort involved in nursing oral cavity cancer patients. Suggests the need for informal debriefing, grief counselling, clinical supervision, stress management training, and continuing education in this specialised role.