OBJECTIVE: To understand the significance of a family member of a child with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome from the perspective of complexity. METHODS: This is a qualitative and exploratory study; data were collected between July and November 2008, through interviews with five family members of children with AIDS, who were sheltered in an institution of support. RESULTS: The meaning of statements were coded and analyzed, resulting in three categories: experiencing the order, disorder and the organization of a family member of a child with AIDS; dialoguing with the assurance and doubt of disclosing the diagnosis to a child with AIDS; and, facing the limits of unknown, decadence, live and death. CONCLUSION: It was revealed that being a family member and caring for a child with AIDS, is a complex process that requires an understanding of multiple factors (such as: biological, psychological, social, spiritual, and the ones related to the disease and the patient) and the attitude of caring focused on the human being - a unique being, complex and multidimensional.
Child; AIDS serodiagnosis; Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome; Family relations; Nursing research