Religious beliefs and practices of Taiwanese parents of pediatric patientswith cancer

The aim of this study was to increase understanding of religious beliefs an d practices among Taiwanese parents of pediatric patients. Parents of 63 pe diatric patients with cancer were interviewed to explore their related reli gious beliefs and practices, ie, worship at temple, drawing Chien, and divi nations. Rituals were used to diminish the harmful effects of the child's d isease, such as temple ceremonies, changing the child's name, and taking "F u" water. Such practices were generally undertaken with a lack of medical g uidance from oncologists largely because of poor interactions between paren ts and oncologists. The findings suggest that discovering a caregiver's wor ldview and cultural values is important to establish holistic nursing pract ices. Because immigrants increasingly move around the world, Taiwanese pare nts become a culturally diverse clientele for healthcare professionals who have to be aware of the existing cultural differences in healthcare values, patterns, and practices, particularly between Western and Eastern cultures .