Nurses’ realisation of an inadequate toolbox for approaching adolescents with a parent suffering from cancer: A constructivist grounded theory study

Abstract

How to approach adolescents (aged 13–18 years) when their parent is suffering from cancer has become a relevant issue in healthcare, as parental cancer may have an impact on adolescents’ health and development. Nurses are well positioned to identify adolescents’ needs and provide information and support to them but often feel ill equipped to approach them appropriately. The aim of this study was to explore nurses’ experiences of approaching adolescents whose parent had cancer. Interviews with 12 nurses were conducted and analysed in line with a constructivist grounded theory approach. Nurses made efforts to create welcoming environments for adolescents but realised that the contact was unsatisfactory. Primarily, the nurses offered face-to-face conversations with adolescents, which did not correspond with adolescents’ communication channels. To better provide information and support to adolescents, nurses must expand their nursing toolbox so that it is better adapted to adolescents’ communication channels. Keywords: adolescents, grounded theory, healthcare, nursing, parental cancer, relatives