Examining role change: A qualitative study of catholic sisters who became family caregivers

Summary Women in Catholic religious institutes are members of organizations that prohibited family caregiving until the late twentieth century. Forty‐six women from 11 non‐cloistered religious institutes participated in a qualitative study focused on understanding their parent care experiences from the perspective of role theory. Embedded in a society experiencing an era of extended longevity, the study participants appear to have expanded the role of Catholic sister to include the ministry of family elder care.