Lived experience, Van Manen as a reference for phenomenological research on care Experiencia vivida, Van Manen como referente para la investigación fenomenológica del cuidado

Abstract

Phenomenology as a philosophy and qualitative research method in health and nursing has positioned itself as an approach that allows to uncover complex care phenomena. Human beings are immersed in diverse care phenomena that could be understood through lived experiences in diverse scenarios. The objective of this article is to describe the proposal of Van Manen on lived experience as a reference for phenomenological research of nursing care and health. Through a critical review of Van Manen’s hermeneutic phenomenology, an approach of the care phenomena is proposed through the analysis of lived experiences. This methodological reference could be a guide that if carried-out meticulously provides nurses with a scientific tool for exploration of care phenomena. Research nurses in phenomenology explore each lived experience and transform them into a phenomenological text that allows to reveal important phenomena for the nursing discipline.