The challenge of quality care for family caregivers in pediatric cancer care

OBJECTIVES: To discuss the needs and potential interventions for parental caregivers of children with cancer. DATA SOURCES: Published articles between 2002 and 2012. CONCLUSION: In general, parents do adjust and cope with their child’s cancer, but a significant majority experience post-traumatic stress symptoms. Families also report that the shift to parenting a child with cancer is very disruptive to identity and family structure and can cause negative outcomes for mothers, father, and siblings. There is growing evidence of post-traumatic growth and resilience in parents of children with cancer. Recent studies have suggested that targeted interventions may relieve distress. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses can support families in the difficult transition to having a child with cancer and may be able to intervene to reduce long-term distress in families.