The Evolutionary Nature of Parent–Provider Relationships at Child’s End of Life With Cancer

Abstract

Relationship strains between families and providers can have intense repercussions on the bereavement experience. Little is known about how to define and differentiate relationships within various interpersonal contexts and how those families manifest their bereavement. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand parental experiences about their relationships with providers at their child’s end of life with cancer and describe the manifestations of their grief. In this hermeneutic study, data were collected through interviews with bereaved parents and observation of families and health care providers in the hospital setting. Parents variously experienced complex relationships characterized by support, collaboration, trust, silence, deterioration, hierarchy, and tolerating, which were interchangeable and varied overtime, as new meanings were incorporated into their experiences. Through better understanding of the nature of these relationships, nurses can provide leadership in research and practice for identifying consequences of their care.

The spiritual dimension of parenting a child with a life-limiting or life-threatening condition: A mixed-methods systematic review

“…The vast majority of articles are based on qualitative research ( n = 47). 38 , 39 , 41 , 42 , 44 , 46 – 52 , 54 – 59 , 61 – 63 , 65 , 66 , 68 – 70 , 72 , 74 – 78 , 80 , 82 – 84 , 86 , 88 , 90 – 97 , 99 Eleven articles report a quantitative observational study. 40 , 43 , 45 , 53 , 67 , 71 , 73 , 85 , 87 , 89 , <...…”

“…38 , 41 , 46 – 49 , 58 – 60 , 69 , 73 , 74 , 76 , 82 , 86 , 87 , 94 , 96 , 99 Thirteen were from Europe. 50 , 52 , 53 , 55 , 61 , 66 , 68 , 75 , 85 , 92 , 93 , 95 , 100 Six studies were from South America, 54 , 57 , 62 , 80 , 84 , 90 , three from Australia. 51 , 56 , 65 In total, the studies report on the perspectives of 2355 parents.…”

“…76,85,100 This helped parents to feel tranquil and supported. [57][58][59]76 Adequate communication by healthcare professionals was not simply a matter of professional responsibility, but was integral to the parents' sense of themselves as effective in a world in which they had often lost previous competencies. 68 A cause of spiritual concern -loneliness.…”

“…55 Parents could feel abandoned by the professionals after their child died as professional support stopped and there was no further regular contact. 57,60,92 The need for spiritual support in relation to connections with others. Many parents expressed the need to be encouraged to connect with others.…”

Interpersonal energy: New and bold directions in palliative care health professions education research

“…For example, a mother describes how she “felt nurses’ non-physical presence”(p. 260) which helped her feel secure in the private last moments of her child’s life. 5 Without an explicit way of understanding this non-physical presence, there is risk of dismissing such moments. We thus open the door to new research agendas and offer recommendations for palliative care health professions education researchers to explore the larger phenomenon of how individuals experience the presence of another person.…”