The experience of getting well as perceived by adolescents recovering from trauma was studied utilizing a phenomenological perspective. This descriptive study utilized the philosophical work of Merleau-Ponty (1962) and the phenomenological method of Van Manen (1984). Little was known about what it is like to get well in the midst of the physiological and psychological changes of adolescence. Twelve adolescents were interviewed twice prior to their discharge from a pediatric rehabilitation hospital. These adolescents were asked to describe their experience of getting well.

Eleven themes were identified in the data, (1) The love my family gave to me, (2) I didn't know if I would ever be well, (3) Getting well is a scary experience, (4) You got to have willpower, (5) Getting well takes a long time, (6) Treat me like a normal person, (7) A time to think about how I have changed, (8) I want to do things for myself, (9) A special person was there for me, (10) Feelings of being like garbage, and (11) Not my time to die.

The eleven themes identified all had implications for the care of the adolescent client and family. Peer interaction was discussed as a treatment modality. Implications of these findings for nursing research, education, clinical practice and administration were discussed. It was evident that nurses needed to increase their understanding of the adolescent experience of getting well in order to meet the fundamental needs of this client population.