Abstract: This paper outlines a phenomenological study carried out to explore the experience of nausea, vomiting and retching associated with pregnancy. These phenomena lack Nursing research and are debilitating symptoms which effect the quality of life for 50-75% of all pregnant women. Madjar ( 1991) indicates that the communication of such experiences can deepen our understanding of human life and coping. It is importance for Nurses to develop an understanding of lived experiences so that they can make more effective interventions. This study explores the essential humanness of life experiences as they are for those who live them. It involved collecting data from those experiencing the phenomena and analysing it. It focuses on the study of phenomena not as separate entities in themselves but as they are perceived as they are experienced. A 'purposeful sample' was required for this study. The aim was to include women who had direct knowledge of the phenomena of nausea, vomiting and retching associated with pregnancy. The study involved in depth interviewing of six women, the interviews were taped and independently transcribed, the transcripts were analysed to determine the meaning of the experience and to identify common themes. The experiences of the women are discussed in relation to what van Manen (1990) describes as four main life world existentials; the lived body, the lived other, lived space and lived time

Abstract: The concepts of self care of health (the goal of self care) are explored in relation to the self care nursing model. It is a basic premise of this model that the client be involved to the fullest possible extent in regarding or developing self care skills. It is proposed that individuals differ in respect to their readiness of such involvement and effort in their own health work and, hence, inability to benefit from the application of the self care nursing model. The study aimed at developing a means of identifying and predicting these differences. It was hypothesised that the individuals perceptions and beliefs about heath, his attribution about the location of blame for illness and the extent to which he perceives himself as having control over the contingencies of his behaviour, would all systematically influence his readiness to engage in self care. A health questionnaire designed to obtain data on individual health related beliefs and practices was constructed. This was mailed to a random sample of non-academic staff from one of the universities. A combination of univariate and multivariate analyses of the 86 completed questionnaires showed four major variables to be significantly interrelated. The pattern of relationships which emerge between responses to other items in the questionnaire cast further light on the complex determinants of health behaviour. Of particular interest is the suggestion that the way health is defined is a crucial factor. Use of the principal axes method of factor allowed a shortened version of the original questionnaire to be produced. The profile yielded by scores on this instrument, not only describes the client in terms of four major health related variables, but can also be used to predict readiness to benefit from a self care nursing approach