The Nurse's Role in Supporting Psychosocial Care of “Forgotten Children”

The first role of nurses is to assess the specific forms of social support needed by the siblings, including emotional, informational, instrumental, companionship, validation, appraisal, or indirect support (Wawrzynski et al., 2022). Next, the siblings’ support systems are identified, typically their parents, who understand their children's situations better. However, it is equally critical to acknowledge that evidence has demonstrated that pediatric cancer significantly affects the dynamics of the family and parents. For example, this study establishes that parents may allocate more time to caring for the diagnosed child, resulting in feelings of isolation among the siblings (Alghamdi et al., 2023). As a result, nurses could determine whether the siblings are assisted by additional networks, such as their teachers. Although it is generally preferable to have external support, siblings frequently consider their parents to be the most influential and motivating source of guidance and assistance (Van Schoors et al., 2019). This indicates the importance of establishing a trusting relationship with the parents, in which the nurses can empower them by enhancing their communication abilities. The nurse may, for instance, illustrate to the parents how to use Bear cards to facilitate emotional expression among siblings or See-Hear-Do pictures to stimulate communication and gain a more comprehensive understanding of how to assist each sibling (Kreicbergs et al., 2022).

The second role of nurses is to demonstrate sensitivity toward the possibility of anticipatory grief when their sibling is diagnosed with cancer. The siblings may grieve the loss of their “normal” family life and carefree upbringing, as demonstrated by the current study. Additionally, they might experience distress over the unpredictability of the future and dread the loss of a sibling (Alghamdi et al., 2023). Following this, the feelings of grief could develop into unresolved grief, potentially leading to adverse consequences (Rasouli et al., 2022). Therefore, this places nurses in an ideal position to identify siblings who are at risk and to assist in mitigating their vulnerability. For example, the nurses can organize activities such as guiding the siblings through the hospital environment or arranging safe moments for them to interact. In addition, siblings often appreciate thoughtful gestures such as offering stickers or paying attention to their interests. This highlights how critical it is that, whenever possible, healthcare professionals continue their efforts to provide psychosocial support and care (Lövgren et al., 2016). On the other hand, although it is widely believed that sibling participation enriches the experience, parental readiness to bring siblings to hospitals is an important consideration. Moreover, it is crucial to keep in mind that although some siblings prefer discussing illness, others would rather remain silent or avoid thinking about it (Cassady, 1982).

In summary, this study has provided the basis for more targeted support and intervention for the family with children undergoing chemotherapy (Alghamdi et al., 2023). In addition to being familiar with the resources available to support the siblings, it is fundamental that nurses continue to receive adequate education and training in psychosocial care to strengthen their current role. Above all, heightened recognition of the value of multidisciplinary teams is vital in fostering sustainable collaboration between healthcare professionals, parents, and siblings with the goal of improving the standard of family-centered care and substantially addressing the challenges faced by the siblings.