Background:

About 300 children are diagnosed with cancer disease in Sweden every year. It's not only the child that suffers from the effects of cancer, it´s the whole family. The parents undergo a crisis process which is very important to know for the nurse to be able to understand the reactions that the parents may have and support the family.

Aim:

The aim of this study was to describe parents´ experiences of living with a child with a cancer diagnoses.

Method:

In this literature study ten qualitative articles were analyzed.

Results:

The results of this study showed four different themes, Losing their foothold, Emotionaly shattered, Parents' needs from the surroundings, New life-world.

Conclusion:

Parents described that it was an emotional roller coaster that they had to go through when their child was diagnosed with a cancer disease. This study can give a deeper understanding of parents' feelings and how the nurse can provide support, guidance and give a good quality nursing to parents and relatives.