Uncertainty and Nursing Needs of Parents with Pediatric Cancer Patients in Different Treatment Phases: A Cross-Sectional Study

Mijeong Park, Eunyoung E. Suh and Soo-Young Yu
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Mijeong Park: Department of Nursing, Seoul National University Children’s Hospital, Seoul 03080, Korea
Eunyoung E. Suh: Center for Human-Caring Nurse Leaders for the Future by Brain Korea 21 (BK 21) Four Project, Research Institute of Nursing Science, College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea
Soo-Young Yu: College of Nursing, Seoul National University, Seoul 03080, Korea

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-14

Abstract: The survival rate of pediatric cancer has increased to 80%, but long-term treatment is required. During treatment, parents experience uncertainty, which affects parents’ quality of life and, even worse, their children’s health; however, the variation of that uncertainty remains under-studied. Thus, it is crucial to understand parents’ nursing needs in each distinct treatment phase to develop relevant educational content. This study investigated the uncertainty level and nursing needs of parents according to their children’s treatment phase. This cross-sectional comparative descriptive study collected survey data from 119 people at a tertiary hospital from December 2017 to April 2018. Nursing needs were ascertained using open-ended questions, and data were analyzed using quantitative content analysis. The uncertainty levels of parents of pediatric cancer patients showed statistically significant differences across treatment phases (F = 8.209, p < 0.001). Parents’ uncertainty was higher in the treatment initiation phase (87.77 ± 13.43) and when treatment was ongoing (83.33 ± 15.10) than in the post-treatment phase (75.35 ± 12.82). All three groups had nursing needs regarding infection control, diet, daily activities of living, and prognosis. Parents’ uncertainty levels and nursing needs differed across treatment phases, suggesting a need for tailored education programs to provide practical support to parents of pediatric cancer patients in each phase.

Keywords: uncertainty; pediatrics; parents; family nursing; oncology nursing (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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