The social and spiritual dimensions of parental experiences on end-of-life care of their child with cancer: A narrative review

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Having a child with cancer is a burdensome experience for parents. Nurses need to better understand beliefs, hopes, and values of parents to holistically support them, which may have an impact on grief and depression. Thus, the aim of this paper was to highlight the social and spiritual dimensions of parental experiences on end-of-life care of their child with cancer. METHOD(S): A narrative literature review was conducted by systematically searching databases (CINAHL Complete, Academic Search Elite, MEDLINE) for relevant literature. The contents of included studies were critically appraised regarding their methodological quality. RESULT(S): Eleven studies were included. In terms of the social dimension, three categories emerged that are important for parents: Being a Parent, Being in Relationship with the Child, and Being in Relationship with Health Professionals. Parents tried to maintain normality and joy for their child, but also kept control over the situation. They wanted to protect their child from suffering but also felt the need to talk to them about dying. Parents had ambivalent experiences with helpful but also burdensome staff. The spiritual dimension comprised two main categories, Hope and Faith and a Unique Bond. Hope was found to be an important source of strength, while Faith was only mentioned by some parents. For parents the emotional connection with their child constituted a source of meaning as well as a foundation, on which they based their decisions on. SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS: A therapeutic relationship and a supportive environment can be established by healthcare professionals by noticing, encouraging the unique bond between parents and their children, as well as by reflecting and addressing the parents’ challenging situation.