| After a renal transplant, strict adherence to the immunosuppressive medication regimen is critical to the maintenance and long term functioning of the transplanted organ. Noncompliance in adolescent kidney transplant recipients presents special challenges to the parents (Manificat et al., 2003). This phenomenological study explored the lived experiences of parents of adolescent kidney transplant recipients that have been non-compliant with their immunosuppressive medications including how they cope and their perceptions of how they are viewed when noncompliance occurs. The theoretical framework that guided the study was transcendental phenomenology. Eight parents were interviewed. These interviews yielded several themes consistent with the findings of prior research. These themes included assignment of responsibility and blame, coping strategies and parental health, and universality and parental input. |
