Objective Dedicated adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer units have emerged from the early 1990s to address multiple challenges faced by AYA patients with cancer. Specific needs of AYA patients have been considered in an increasing number of studies. However, few describe how the health care professionals (HCPs) perceive their patients' needs and how they actually adjust their day‐to‐day practices to meet such needs. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe the practical methods of care and teamwork implemented by HCPs in response to what they perceive as essential to support psychosocial development of AYA patients. Methods Qualitative research was conducted between 2012 and 2014 with 31 HCPs from a recently created haematology AYA unit in France. The transcripts of open‐ended interviews were subject to inductive analysis using constant comparison as recommended by the grounded theory methods. Results Our results show how HCPs adapt their practices and care relationships to support three major developmental milestones related to identity construction in AYAs: self‐determination and individuation from parents, gender and sexual identity, and social life and connectedness to peers and adults (other than parents). Our results also show how HCPs adapt their practices and organisational methods to enhance the flexibility required to address their young patients, thus setting consistent and high standards for the whole team. Such adaptation is made possible through collaborative work and collective processes that facilitate self‐reflection. Conclusions Our findings shed light on some meaningful young patient‐friendly practices of care and advocate for AYA‐dedicated units.

L’entrée dans la dynamique pubertaire marque généralement la fin de la latence. Qu’en est-il dans le contexte d’une atteinte cancéreuse dont les traitements provoquent un mouvement de désexualisation ? À partir d’expériences cliniques et d’entretiens de recherche menés dans le cadre d’un service hospitalier pour adolescents et jeunes adultes, les auteurs interrogent les effets de la maladie grave sur les modalités de sortie de la latence et l’avènement des réorganisations génitales.

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