Adolescents and parents experiencing parental cancer: construction of a nursing intervention model

Abstract

Objective: To develop a nursing intervention model for adolescents and parents experiencing parental cancer. Method: Multimethod research, which integrated five studies: a scoping review and four qualitative studies. Considering the results of these studies, a nursing intervention model was constructed based on two theoretical frameworks, such as the A Model of Children’s Adjustment to Parental Cancer, for adolescents, and Neuman Systems Model, for parents, and on a semantic framework, such as Nursing Ontology. Results: The model is aimed at three target audiences: individual – parental figure with cancer; individual – adolescent; and family – parental figure with cancer, second parental figure and adolescent. The model is based on health literacy and includes four topics that address central topics in the experience of parental cancer: “The elephant in the room”; “Everything changes in us”; “Life goes on”; and “With the present, we plan the future”. Conclusion: The proposed model is assumed as a health promotion strategy that empowers nurses for a family-centered intervention, in order to minimize the impact of parental cancer.