Mothers overcoming remorse to care for self and baby: An emerging concept.

Objectives: Mothers with substance use disorder (SUD) experience a range of emotions such as feeling ostracized, diminished, and distressed while watching their baby experience withdrawal from substances. Being fully present in the now moment is to trust self to do what is best by moving beyond perceived boundaries to care for self and baby. The process of concept building arose from nursing practice encounters in a special care nursery (SCN) for babies who experienced withdrawal from substances. Method: Liehr and Smith's 10-phase concept building approach was used to guide the development of this concept. Concept building began with a practice story. The emerging concept was named, core qualities identified, and supported through a literature review. The middle range theory of uncertainty in illness was chosen to serve as theoretical support for the concept. A model was created to provide clarity on the relationships within the concept. Result: A mini-saga was gathered from a mother in the SCN whose newborn had experienced withdrawal from substances Conclusion: This concept provides the perspective of mothers with SUD through intermodernism from experiences in nursing practice. The Uncertainty in Illness theory further allows practitioners to gain an understanding of the role uncertainty plays in this unique situation.