Creating the nursing care map in the evaluation of kidney transplant candidates: A scoping review and narrative synthesis.
Guillermo Pedreira-Robles, Paloma Garcimartín, Anna Bach-Pascual and 3 others
PMID 37480193WHAT IT FOUND
Nurses assessing kidney transplant candidates should screen for physical frailty, depression, and adherence risks, not just medical fitness.
The review found no standardised care map exists, so nurses must coordinate these psychosocial and educational checks to prevent patients being wrongly excluded.
Key findings
01The review identified four key areas for nursing assessment in kidney transplant candidates: physical needs, psychological and quality of life needs, education and adherence needs, and the nurse's coordinating role.
02Physical barriers to transplantation such as obesity, cardiovascular disease and frailty should not automatically exclude candidates but require assessment and fitness plans to improve capacity.
03There is currently no standardised nursing care plan or protocol for assessing kidney transplant candidates, creating a gap in how nurses can systematically address these needs.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
As a scoping review, it did not assess the quality of the included studies, so the strength of evidence for specific interventions is unclear. The included studies varied widely in design and context, making it difficult to draw firm conclusions about best practices for all populations. The review found no existing standardised care map, meaning the proposed categories are a synthesis of gaps rather than a validated protocol.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the Generalitat de Catalunya. The funding body had no role in the study design, execution, or decision to publish. The first author's doctoral thesis is part of the study.
The easy way to misread this
Do not treat the proposed care categories as a validated or tested protocol. The review explicitly states that empirical research is still needed to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of this nursing care map in clinical practice.