Parental Experiences of Decision Making After Children's New Cancer Diagnoses: A Phenomenological Study

AIM: To describe the lived decision-making experiences of parents during the first 6 months after their children's new cancer diagnoses. DESIGN: Descriptive phenomenological study. METHODS: This study was conducted from 2022 to 2023 at an academic teaching hospital in Taiwan. Parents of children newly diagnosed with cancer within the previous 6 months were recruited using purposive sampling. Data were collected via in-depth interviews with 18 participants and subsequently analysed using the Giorgi method. RESULTS: Three major themes emerged: (1) making decisions without choices, with the subthemes of parallel universes and realities and overwhelming information and unanswered questions; (2) deferring decisions to expert judgements, with the subthemes of trust in professionals, working together, and seeing the future; and (c) balancing quality of life and survival, with the subthemes of confronting and suffering, mental preparation and worry, and being a strong supporter and carrying burdens. Hope for their children's survival sustained parents, empowering them to become steadfast sources of strength and support. Through hope, they transitioned from feeling helpless to actively advocating and assuming the primary caregiver role. CONCLUSIONS: After deciding to proceed with their children's cancer treatment, hope for survival becomes the strongest factor motivating parents to navigate, explore, and move forward in an environment filled with uncertainty. Psychological preparation and understanding ease parental anxiety. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PROFESSION AND/OR PATIENT CARE: The development of clear, structured care plans is recommended to help parents feel supported and transition early from novices to confident guides. IMPACT: The findings of this study highlight the shift in parents' roles following children's cancer diagnoses from facing unavoidable decision-making to actively striving to balance children's quality of life with treatment outcomes. They provide guidance for the support of parents' engagement with decision-making plans in clinical practice. REPORTING METHOD: Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: None.