Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the level of distress and posttraumatic growth in fathers of chronically ill childrenand also, to identify the relation between characteristics of the fathers and children and their posttraumatic growth and to investigatefactors that influence posttraumatic growth. Methods: In this study, 48 fathers who visited a university hospital in Seoul, Koreaand who gave written consent completed the questionnaire between September 23 and November 19, 2013. Data were analyzed usingMann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression. Results: The level ofdistress in fathers of chronically ill children was relatively high and the majority of them were experiencing posttraumatic growth. Models including the variable (deliberate rumination, religiousness, optimism) explained 64.3% (F=26.38, p qqqlt;.001) of the variance forposttraumatic growth. Deliberate rumination (β=.59, p qqqlt;.001) was the most influential factor. Conclusion: The findings demonstratethat it is essential for nurses to intervene and facilitate continuously so as to promote posttraumatic growth and relieve distress infathers of chronically ill children. Furthermore, it is also necessary for nurses to find ways to develop ideal interventions to activatedeliberate rumination and offer spiritual care and help maintain optimism in these individuals.