[End-of-Life Nursing Experience Providing Care to a Father With Terminal Rectal Cancer With Dependent Children]

This report describes the end-of-life nursing experience of the author in providing care to a 44-year-old father with terminal rectal cancer with two dependent children. Diagnosed in young adulthood with rectal cancer and multiple metastases, the patient initially pursued aggressive treatment. However, rapid disease progression during the terminal stage led to disrupted family processes, role conflict, and significant caregiver role strain. The author's motivation for compiling this report stemmed from the limited research addressing end-of-life care for "parents with advanced cancer and their dependent children". During the nursing period from April 3 to April 13, 2025, a holistic assessment was conducted that covered the patient's physical, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions. The results indicated the patient's primary health problems to be pain, ineffective breathing pattern, imbalanced nutrition, disturbed sleep patterns, self-care deficit, and increased fall risk. The primary health problems for the patient's spouse and children were identified as interrupted family processes, decisional conflict, and caregiver role strain. A patient-and-family-centered nursing strategy was employed to facilitate consensus during decisional conflicts and restore family functioning through enhanced communications. Moreover, this strategy facilitated interdisciplinary collaboration among pediatric, psychological, and hospice teams to ensure illness disclosure and the provision of bereavement counseling for the dependent children. Parents with advanced cancer and their families represent a unique and vulnerable population, with the trajectory from diagnosis to death profoundly impacting family structures and psychological well-being. It is hoped that this case provides an insightful and practical reference for clinical nurses responsible for providing care to this population.