School re-entry for children and adolescents with cancer: A qualitative study from the perspectives of school personnel.

Authors

Birgül Erdoğan, Tuba Arpaci

Published in

Asia-Pacific journal of oncology nursing. Volume 13. Pages 101009. Epub Jul 24, 2026.

Abstract

School re-entry after a cancer-related interruption may involve academic, social, emotional, and health-related adjustment. Evidence from school personnel remains limited. This study explored school personnel's perspectives on school re-entry among children and adolescents undergoing or having completed childhood cancer treatment.
This qualitative descriptive study was conducted in Türkiye with 12 school personnel recruited through purposive maximum-variation and snowball sampling: eight teachers, two school administrators, one school counselor, and one school nurse. Data were collected through online semi-structured interviews between April 2025 and January 2026 and analyzed using a team-based inductive thematic analysis informed by Braun and Clarke's six phases.
Three analytic domains encompassing eight themes were identified: academic and health-related adjustment; social and emotional reintegration; and school-side support needs and coordination gaps. Participants described school absence as involving academic disruption, weakened belonging, peer-related vulnerability, and a need for individualized adjustment. Support was often dependent on individual initiative, with limited school-useable health information, unclear role boundaries, and insufficient coordination.
School personnel described school re-entry as a gradual, individualized process requiring coordinated communication, planning, and follow-up. The school-side needs identified may inform future interdisciplinary models linking children and families, schools, and health care teams. Pediatric oncology nurses may contribute to communication and planning; however, role-specific recommendations require direct investigation with nurses, children, and families.

PMID:
42568947
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 08 Aug 2026.

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