Content analysis of interviews using a nursing model: A look at parents adapting to the impact of childhood cancer

A nursing model was used for content analysis of 20 interviews of parents whose children had been newly diagnosed with cancer. The Roy adaptation nursing model provided the categories into which the content themes from the transcribed interview data was grouped. Interrater reliabilities indicated that parent messages could be sorted into one of the four Roy model categories1) physiologic, 2) interdependence, 3) role mastery, or 4) self-concept adaptations. Results indicated that subjective interview questions that ask parents directly about themselves elicited mainly interdependence or self-concept concerns. Yet when parents were asked objective-type questions about the child or the effect of the diagnosis, their responses fit mainly into the self-concept and physiologic areas. The results suggest that interview questions which elicit needs in the various categories of adaptation can be used to engage parents in identifying their own and their childʼs adaptive strengths. In addition, this study exemplifies the use of a theoretical nursing model in clinical practice as a retroactive review. The potential for using nursing theory to study actual practice by reviewing banked data is encouraged.