The genogram and the ecomap have revealed to be valuable instruments for understanding family processes. This study aims to describe the experience of using these instruments in collecting data for a qualitative research that involved nine families of children with cancer, which used symbolic interactionism and grounded theory as a theoretical-methodological reference framework for understanding these families' experiences. It presents the positive points to using these instruments, such as an easier approach between interviewer and interviewee; an objective picture of the intra and extra family relations; the discussion and disclosure of possible changes in the family; the identification of each family member's common and singular characteristics, and the interviewee's possibility for expression through non-verbal language. These advantages were highlighted in data collection involving children. The authors also alert to a number of limitations.
Nursing assessment; Family nursing; Pediatric nursing; Neoplasms
