Desires vs. conditions: A qualitative study exploring the factors affecting the place of death of child with cancer in Turkey
Funding information: This study was supported by the Koç University Semahat Arsel Nursing Education and Research Center (SANERC) Vehbi Koç Foundation Nursing Fund Project Support Program.
Abstract
Objective
The purpose of this study was to describe factors affecting the place of death of children with cancer at the end of life.
Methods
The descriptive phenomenological approach was used. Eighteen mothers who lost their children to cancer participated in in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using MAXQDA software version. Codes and categories were developed inductively from participants' narratives.
Results
The factors affecting the place of death of children were categorised into two main themes: (1) desires and (2) conditions. Most of the mothers reported that their deceased children wanted to be with their families at the end of life and they wanted to go home. The conditions related to health services were defined as the barriers to the death of their children in the places of death preferred by the mothers.
Conclusion
The desire to be close to the child was the main factor affecting the parents' decisions. The findings revealed the prevailing circumstances in the death place decision beyond parental desires. These were the child's health conditions, physical conditions of hospitals, and the lack of home care and paediatric palliative care services, which were factors related to the system, and the lack of other options for parents.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Open Research
DATA AVAILABILITY STATEMENT
The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restriction.
