Waiting and not knowing: the diagnosis of cancer in a child.

A subset of data from a longitudinal grounded theory study was analyzed to describe the experience families have during the period immediately surrounding the time of diagnosis of cancer in a child. A convenience sample consisted of 40 members of seven families with a child who was recently diagnosed with cancer with a favorable prognosis. All family members 5 years of age and older participated. Data collection consisted of three tape-recorded, semistructured interviews with family members in the home. It was found that the "waiting and not knowing" of this period was most distressing for family members. This period is further described and implications for nursing practice are discussed. Factors limiting generalizability of the findings include the small sample size, single site, and the short length of time families were followed.