Nursing support for symptoms in patients with cancer and caregiver burdens: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

IntroductionTerminally ill patients with cancer experience a variety of symptoms, and their families experience certain caregiver burdens. Most studies on this topic have focused on the symptoms experienced by patients with cancer. There is little established evidence to show how nursing support affects these symptoms and burdens. Nurses provide support by extrapolating their clinical experience, practical knowledge and insights gained from the treatment phase of patients with cancer, regardless of the existence or degree of evidence. This study presents a scoping review protocol with the aim of categorising the feasibility of nursing support from the initial to the terminal phases in the trajectory of cancer care.Method and analysisThis review will be guided by Arksey and O’Malley’s five-stage scoping review framework and Levac’s extension. Our research project team will focus on the pain, dyspnoea, nausea and vomiting, constipation, delirium, fatigue and skin disorders experienced by patients with cancer as well as the burdens experienced by caregivers of such patients. All available published articles from database inception to 31 January 2022 will be systematically searched using the following electrical databases: PubMed, CINAHL, CENTRAL in the Cochrane Library and Ichushi-Web of the Japan Medical Abstract Society databases. In addition, we will assess relevant studies from the reference list and manually search each key journal. The formula creation phase of the literature search involves working with a librarian to identify relevant keywords. At least two reviewers will independently screen and review articles and extract data using a data chart form. Results will be mapped according to study design and analysed for adaptation in the field of terminal cancer.Ethics and disseminationThis review does not require ethical approval as it is a secondary analysis of pre-existing, published data. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Nursing support for breathlessness in patients with cancer: a scoping review

“…We followed reporting guidelines described in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Statement extension for Scoping Reviews 20. The scoping review protocol was published prospectively 21. This study is a scoping review of breathlessness, a symptom addressed in the study protocol.…”

Nursing Support for Pain in Patients With Cancer: A Scoping Review

“…In this study, nursing support for pain is defined as any non-pharmacological treatment for pain relief that can be provided by a nurse. This study was conducted in accordance with a previously published protocol [6].…”

“…Relevant studies were evaluated from the list of articles, and major journals were manually searched. Search queries were first created in PubMed for an initial search, and then, search formulas were created to match other databases (refer to the protocol study) [6]. Two researchers (MM and JK) conducted this initial search in consultation with a librarian.…”

“…In the case of terminally ill cancer patients with a prognosis of weeks until death, the increased distress of physical symptoms, decline in physical and cognitive functions, and psychological changes warrant special attention to the needs of the patient [6]. However, guidelines for nursing support for cancer pain and consensus on nursing support for terminally ill patients are lacking.…”

Family caregiver's emotional concerns in advanced cancer: A qualitative content analysis

“…Family caregivers not only have responsibilities for managing patients' needs but also require support throughout the treatment trajectory or when confronted with their own concerns and emotions [16]. However, they are frequently compelled to grapple with emotional distress arising from the caregiving process and exhibit considerable potential for requiring supports [19][20]. Regrettably, most healthcare systems do not provide adequate support for caregivers [21].…”