Development of a Nursing Care Program for Parents Making the Meaning their Experience of Fighting Illness in Children with Cancer

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K17482
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Lifelong developmental nursing
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Irie Wataru 東北大学, 医学系研究科, 助教 (60757649)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 意味づけ / Posttraumatic Growth / 間合い / 見通し / 実生活への順応

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As a result of this study, four frameworks were clarified as nursing care for parents to make the meaning of fighting illness in children with cancer: (1) accepting the fact that their children had cancer, (2) adapting to life with cancer (3) grasping the sense of cancer, and (4) dealing with the fear of cancer. Healthcare professionals are not required to focus on internal ruminations of parents, but rather to help them maintain a sense of control through adaptation to actual life.

Free Research Field

家族ケア

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究成果の学術的意義は，これまで小児がんの子どもをもつ家族の意味づけを支援するうえでの具体的な着眼点が課題となっていたなかで，小児がんを抱える子供の闘病体験（病気罹患から治療終了までの体験）を親が意味づけていく過程を精緻的に解明できた点である。今後これらの支援枠組みに基づき，小児がんの子どもをもつ家族への実際のケアの実装や生活環境への支援の充実が取り組まれることで，より社会的意義に貢献できると考えられる。