Lebanese parents’ experiences with a child with cancer
Background The impact of childhood cancer on the family has been studied in different cultures and continues to be an object of study and concern, In Lebanon, a country of 4 million people 282 new pediatric cases of cancer age <20 years diagnosed in 2004 were reported in 2008. Objectives The purp...
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2013
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/10725/4671 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2012.02.005 http://libraries.lau.edu.lb/research/laur/terms-of-use/articles.php http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1462388912000269 |
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| Summary: | Background The impact of childhood cancer on the family has been studied in different cultures and continues to be an object of study and concern, In Lebanon, a country of 4 million people 282 new pediatric cases of cancer age <20 years diagnosed in 2004 were reported in 2008. Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of Lebanese families living with a child with cancer. Method The study followed purposeful sampling in which 12 parents (mother or father) of a child with cancer were interviewed. Data were analyzed following the hermeneutical process as described by Diekelmann and Ironsides (1998). Results A constitutive pattern “It is a continuous battle” and five themes emerged from the data analysis. Living with the shock of the diagnosis; Alterations in the quality of the family’s life; Living with added burdens; Disease impact on the family and sibling dynamics; Living with uncertainty represent the major themes that emerged from the participants’ experiences while living with a child with cancer. Conclusion The study contributes to the knowledge that would help health care professionals understand the experiences and challenges that are faced by Lebanese families living with a child with cancer. This awareness would serve as a basis for health care professionals in general and nurses in particular to understand parents’ experiences, and offer support, elicit communication of feelings, and examine possibilities for forming a partnership during the challenging course of the child’s illness. Supported parents are more likely to provide more effective care to their child with cancer. |
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