HELENE HUDSON LECTURE Young mothers’ engagement with the cancer care system

Abstract

For young women who are mothers, the cancer experience is distressing, not simply because of their age or concern for themselves, but also because they are worried about the potential loss of years with their children and ability to mother them. While nurses are engaged with young mothers who are cancer patients, these mothers are engaged in taking care of their children. They juggle the demands of diagnosis and treatment with fulfilling their role as mothers. The aim of this paper is to report selected findings from a grounded theory study involving 18 young mothers, and to promote dialogue with nursing colleagues about strategies for care that may make young mothers’ journey through cancer a little easier for them and their families.