本研究主要是針對臺灣中部地區罹患乳癌婦女進行調查； 目的在瞭解及敘述患婦 的心路歷程與生命意義探索之心靈經驗。本研究採詮譯現象學研究法，即利用錄音及深度訪 談，以探討罹患乳癌婦女之內在深層結構。 有 15 位婦女接受訪談。研究結果發現有 4 個 主題可用來描述本研究婦女在生命意義探索上的經驗結構， 這 4 個主題包括：(1) 價值的 創造，(2) 體驗與抉擇，(3) 受苦與死亡，(4) 宗教與超越。從研究結果發現生命意義探索 對罹患乳癌婦女而言是一種永無止境地往高度精神性發展的過程，包括她們在工作上或人際 上所賦予的創造性價值意義，在其疾病體驗上對人生意義的抉擇、在受苦與面對死亡時的高 度精神超越，以及透過宗教所提供的解脫進路而產生被醫治的感覺。研究建議，護理人應視 病人為獨立的個體，協助病人探索其存在的意義與價值，及至終極意義的實存抉擇。

　　　　　The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate and describe searching for meaning-in-life as a lived experience of women living with breast cancer in Taiwan. The study was conducted in a community in central Taiwan. Fifteen adult women with breast cancer, who indicated their present well-being and were able to speak Mandarin, were recruited. A hermeneutical, phenomenological research method was employed to guide the study. Interviews were used to explore the structure of the human lifeworld of women with breast cancer. Four themes emerged as characteristic of the current lifeworlds of the study participants. The four themes include (1) value creativity, (2) experience and choice, (3) suffering and death, (4) religion and transcendence. Interpretation of the narratives of the participants revealed that searching for meaning is a spiritual journey and an unending process that the participants experience. Searching for meaning includes giving meaning through creativity, such as in relationships, and creative work, and through choosing and experiencing situations. It also includes experiencing transcendence and liberation through religious methods, and through suffering and facing death. The findings suggested that nurses should attend to each client as a unique person, and help the clients to search for meaning in their existence.