Processing Information After a Child’s Cancer Diagnosis—How Parents Learn: A Report From the Children’s Oncology Group

Abstract

Parents of a child newly diagnosed with cancer must receive an extensive amount of information before their child’s initial hospital discharge; however, little is known about best practices for providing this education. An interpretive descriptive study design was used to describe actual and preferred educational content, timing, and methods among parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer prior to their child’s first hospital discharge. Twenty parents of children diagnosed with various malignancies participated in individual interviews 2 to 12 months after their child’s diagnosis. Data were analyzed using constant comparative analysis. Education delivery occurred in a telling manner at diagnosis transitioning to a reciprocal process of teaching during the inpatient stay, then primarily back to telling immediately before discharge. Parents expressed a variety of preferred learning styles but noted that their preferences were rarely assessed by health care providers. Multiple factors influenced parents’ ability to process educational information received during their child’s initial hospitalization. Findings suggest that nursing practices should include assessing for influencing factors, providing anticipatory guidance, and incorporating parents’ preferred learning style into the educational plan.