Children with cancer identify staff members, who work with them in paediatric units, as their most important comforters. This study aimed to shed light on how those staff members deliver this comfort.

Semi-structured interviews were performed and the content then analysed. Nine families (n = 9) and eight staff members (n = 8) participated in the study.

The staff described caring for the children and the whole family. They implemented certain comforting measures with the child, and described how they provided support to parents. Staff described how they felt comforted by relating to the children they were caring for.

Staff working in paediatric units develop good relationships with children and parents and comfort them using methods described in the literature. The quality of the staff's positive relationships with the children marked all their actions.