The Needs of Parents of Pediatric Oncology Patients During the Palliative Care Phase

The death of a child is considered one of the greatest stresses a parent can experience. It has been suggested that death from childhood malignancies is more stressful for parents than death due to other chronic diseases. The purpose of this qualitative study is to identify parents' perceptions of their needs while their child was dying of cancer. Twelve parents of eight children, who died of various types of cancer 1 to 3 years ago, were interviewed by the primary investigator. These children died either in hospital or at home. Interviews were tape recorded, transcribed and analyzed by the investigators. Three needs were identified: (1) The need to have the child recognized as special while retaining as much normality within the child's and family's lives as possible; (2) The need for caring and connectedness with health care professionals; and (3) The need to retain responsibility of parenting their dying child. Findings suggest that parental needs are similar regardless of where the death occurred. Implications for nursing practice and areas for further research were identified.