[Caregiver role strain in caregivers of children with cancer].

The purpose of this study was to identify the frequency of nursing diagnoses "caregiver role strain" and "risk for caregiver role strain" in 50 caregivers of children with cancer in a specialized children's cancer hospital in Campinas, São Paulo. The data for this descriptive cross-sectional study was obtained from the patients' files and interviews held with the caregiver using a specially formulated protocol. "Caregiver role strain" was presented by 78% of the caregivers and 100% presented the risk for "caregiver role strain" with at least two defining characteristics and six risk factors. The conclusion was that caregivers of children with cancer present a high risk for caregiver role strain.