A structural equation model of developing a partnership between pediatric nurses and parents of children with cancer in South Korea

A trust-based cooperative partnership between pediatric nurses and parents of children with cancer is a significant factor in improving parents' coping abilities and reducing their anxiety. We aimed to identify factors and construct a structural equation model of developing a partnership between pediatric nurses and parents of children with cancer in South Korea. The model was based on Lazarus and Folkman's stress-coping-adaptation model.Data were collected utilizing a structured questionnaire, which included the following variables: parental stress, perceived nursing support, empowerment, coping, communication with nurses and nurse-parents partnership. The study participants included 205 parents of children diagnosed with cancer and receiving treatment as either inpatients or outpatients in South Korea. We used SPSS/WIN 26.0 to analyze the data and AMOS 26.0 to conduct the structural equation modeling.Empowerment (β = 0.536, p = 0.001) and communication with nurses (β = 0.169, p = 0.021) explained 26.0% of the total variance of nurse-parents partnership.The final model constructed here was confirmed to be suitable for explaining and predicting parent-nurse partnerships. Our results are meaningful in constructing partnership model between pediatric nurses and parents of children with cancer based on conceptual model.Strategies and efforts to enhance communication with nurses and parental empowerment will be helpful for enhancing parent-nurse partnerships as children and parents go through the treatment process.