Experiences of Ethical Issues When Caring for Children With Cancer

BACKGROUND: The treatment for pediatric cancer is often physically, socially, and psychologically demanding and often gives rise to ethical issues. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe healthcare professionals' experiences of ethical issues and ways to deal with these when caring for children with cancer. METHODS: A study-specific questionnaire was given to healthcare professionals at a pediatric hospital in Sweden. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze answers to open-ended questions. The data were sorted into 2 domains based on the objective of the study. In the next step, the data in each domain were inductively coded, generating categories and subcategories. RESULTS: The main ethical issues included concerns of (1) infringing on autonomy, (2) deciding on treatment levels, and (3) conflicting perspectives that constituted a challenge to collaboration. Professionals desired teamwork and reflection to deal with ethical concerns, and they needed resources for dealing with ethics. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Interprofessional consideration needs to be improved. Forums and time for ethics reflections need to be offered to deal with ethical concerns in childhood cancer care. CONCLUSIONS: Experiences of ethical concerns and dealing with these in caring for children with cancer evoked strong feelings and moral perplexity among nursing staff. The study raises a challenging question: How can conflicting perspectives, lack of interprofessional consideration, and obstacles related to parents' involvement be "turned around," that is, contribute to a holistic perspective of ethics in cancer care of children?