Communication between parents diagnosed with cancer and their children: study with data triangulation.
Estela Ferreira da Silva, Maria das Graças Silva Matsubara, Mariângela Abate De Lara Soares and 2 others
PMID 38373186WHAT IT FOUND
Parents with cancer mostly described telling children aged 3 to 12 about their diagnosis as painful and stressful, with some also feeling safe and supported.
Most disclosed within a week.
Key findings
0141 parents reported telling their children about the cancer diagnosis, and 27 of them did so on the day or during the week.
02Parents' adjective ratings were more negative than positive: 73.1% chose painful and 53.6% chose stressful, while 51.2% chose safe and 53.7% chose clear.
03Qualitative themes included both distress and relief, labelled Trial by fire and Grateful reward, and parents often linked trust and support to help from spouses or family members.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was non-probabilistic and small, with 43 parents from two hospitals in São Paulo. Most participants were women, had breast cancer and were young adults, so findings may not fit fathers, older parents or other cancers. Member checking was not possible because pandemic interruptions prevented confirming transcripts with participants. Recall may be imperfect because interviews could occur up to 24 months after diagnosis. The semantic differential descriptors were not validated. The study is qualitative and descriptive, so it cannot show that communication timing or support improves outcomes. The study did not test a nurse-delivered communication intervention.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the parents' negative feelings as proof that telling children caused harm or that nurse-led communication works. The study measured parents' perceptions only, did not assess child outcomes, and did not test nursing care.