Orienting, coping, and evaluating behaviors in school-age children experienced treatment of leukemia

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to understand the perception and responses of the school-age leukemic children of their treatment experience. Projective techniques, including 10 pieces of black-white cartoons and the third person method, were conducted by the author to have the in-depth interview with 14 ALL children. Content Analysis was used to analyze the data. The result showed that two dimensions were important: (1)Experience of treatment, which included the impact on the child's body experience(59. 8%) and the health care experience(40.2%). Body experience refereed to the leukemic child's perception of body change in structure, function and sensation. Health care experience meant the child's experience of treatment procedures, health care professionals and settings. (2) Behavioral responses, which include the orienting behaviors(45%), coping behaviors(46.9% ) and evaluating behaviors(8.1%). Orienting behaviors were defined as information seeking, expectation and identification. Coping behaviors were categorized into 3 dimensions: 1)Approaching coping behaviors: such as self- control, seek-support and receptive behaviors; 2) Avoiding coping behaviors: such as protesting and isolation; 3) Modifying coping behaviors: such as bargain, emotional responses and substitution. Evaluating behaviors were categorized into positive and negative evaluation. The findings stressed the importance of the nurse's awareness of children's developmental characters to provide age- appropriate and humanistic care for children undergoing the hard treatment process of leukemia. Projective techniques, 10 cartoon pictures, could be recommended to apply in the communication with children in the pediatric oncology nursing practice.