NURSING

Research for nursing

Papers a nurse can act on, across critical and emergency care, medical-surgical, mental health, paediatrics and neonatal, maternity, older adults, community and primary care, and oncology and palliative care. Each is read in full rather than from its abstract.

10,756 PAPERS · PAGE 186 OF 216 · NEWEST FIRST

• RNQualitative2026Saudi Women's Experiences of Sexual and Relational Changes During the Menopause Transition.Journal of advanced nursingSaudi women linked menopause sexual changes to dryness, pain, reduced desire, partner comments, body image and religious duty. Some avoided help because shame or expected age-based dismissal, and used olive oil or herbal drinks.
• RNOther2026Development and Validation of the End-of-Life Assessment Tool for Advanced Dementia: A Multi Method Study.Journal of advanced nursingIn 113 residents with advanced dementia, a 27-item nurse assessment with a score of 14.5 or higher flagged risk of death within 180 days, but it was much better at spotting risk than excluding it.
• RNCohort2025Sustainability of a Nurse-Led End of Life (PEACH) Community Model of Care.Journal of hospice and palliative nursing : JHPN : the official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses AssociationMost people receiving a nurse-led home palliative package, alongside usual GP, community nurse and specialist palliative care services, died at home: 436 of 598 and 395 of 482 in two service periods. Carers reported high satisfaction, especially pain relief.
• RNRCT2025Profiles of Dyadic Self-care Congruence and Patient Symptom Burden in Heart Failure.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingHeart failure patients whose caregivers contributed more to self-care reported the highest physical symptom burden. Patients who performed more self-care than their caregivers reported the lowest. This describes patterns, not proof that self-care lowers symptoms.
• RNQualitative2025Racial Minority Doulas' Perceptions of Hospital Team-Based Care.MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursingDoulas reported that hospital teams often misunderstand their role, leading to exclusion. They identified better orientation, clear boundaries, and mutual respect as key to integrating into birth teams and supporting patients.
• RNSurvey2025Strengthening Rabies Protection Behaviors Among Thai Children: The Role of Health Literacy and Protection Motivation.The Journal of school healthChildren who could better find, judge, and use rabies information reported more protective actions, but only 39.6% regularly washed wounds and 17.2% never practiced any protective behavior.
• RNSystematic Review2025Safeguarding Experiences of People in Mental Distress, Police and Healthcare Practitioners: An Integrative Review.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursingPeople in mental distress often felt unheard, dismissed or unsafe in police and emergency care. Stigma, delays caused by intoxication and poor transfer of care were recurring problems.
• RNQualitative2025Nurse-Led Goal Setting Activities to Enhance Older Adult Health Care and Self-Advocacy.International journal of older people nursingOlder adults in low-income senior housing set goals around safe mobility, managing health, independence and relationships. They identified barriers such as pain, transportation and busyness, and facilitators such as routine and regular check-ins.
• RNQualitative2025Phenomenological Study on the Lived Experience of Patients After Major Cardiac Surgery in Intensive Care Units.Nursing in critical careICU patients after cardiac surgery feared not waking up, described foggy awakening, endless time, and feeling invisible during conversations. They valued nurses who anticipated needs, but wanted to be included in care decisions.
• RNQualitative2025Navigating the Healthcare System With Chronic Illness: A Qualitative Study of Caregiver Experiences.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesCaregivers trusted specialised hospital expertise but felt overlooked, unsupported and forced to advocate for follow-up. They asked healthcare staff to recognise their knowledge, communicate clearly and check on their own well-being.
• RNQualitative2025'Being a Good Parent' for Seriously Ill Children in Brazil: A Qualitative Semantic Analysis.Nursing in critical careParents defined being a good parent as physical and emotional presence, protection, and maintaining family unity. They asked staff for vigilance, clear information, and flexibility to help them stay involved. These beliefs varied individually rather than following one standard pattern.
• RNCohort2026Mutuality and Self-Care in the Patient-Caregiver Dyads in the Context of Coronary Heart Disease: An Exploration of the Mediating Role of Self-Efficacy.Journal of clinical nursingGreater perceived relationship closeness was linked to better self-care through higher confidence in managing care in 136 coronary heart disease patient-caregiver dyads. The links ran through confidence, not straight from closeness to self-care, and cannot show causation.
• RNOther2026'Living Well With a PICC at Home': Co-Design and Evaluation of a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter (PICC) Booklet.Journal of advanced nursingAdults living with a PICC described practical ways to shower, do housework, dress and care for children, and asked for a plain language booklet that also explains clinical risks. A consumer-designed home PICC resource was produced, but its effect on outcomes is untested.
• RNSystematic Review2026Psychometric Properties of Pain Scales in Inpatient Settings: An Umbrella Review.Journal of clinical nursingOnly three hospital pain scales had enough evidence to recommend: Breakthrough Pain Assessment Tool for cancer pain, Paediatric Pain Profile for children who cannot self-report, and Questionnaire on Pain caused by Spasticity for limb spasticity pain. Most others still need better validation.
• RNSystematic Review2026Assessing Clinical Deterioration in Children With Dark-Coloured Skin: A Scoping Review.Journal of clinical nursingAssessing clinical deterioration in children with dark skin remains difficult due to a lack of high-quality evidence. Transcutaneous bilirubin and pulse oximetry may overestimate levels in this group, but clinical impacts are unclear. Guidance for assessing mottling and capillary refill is missing.
• RNRCT2025Application of "Internet+"-Based Continuous Nursing to Improve the Nutrition-Health Level of Pediatric Liver Transplant.Nursing & health sciencesAfter 4 weeks, children whose families used an Internet+ continuity care package had fewer malnutrition-risk cases than routine care (8/38 vs 16/38). The package bundled team, WeChat, daily photo checks, videos, emergency contact and calls, so no single part is shown to be responsible.
• RNSystematic Review2025Interventions for Caregivers Caring for a Family Member With Advanced Illness at Home: A Systematic Review.Nursing & health sciencesHome-based support for caregivers of relatives with advanced illness showed mixed short-term benefits. Interventions improved preparedness and reduced burden in some studies, but effects on depression, anxiety, and quality of life were inconsistent or faded over time.
• RNSystematic Review2025Difficulties in Communicating Between Nurses and Relatives of Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Units: A Scoping Review.Nursing in critical careICU nurses and families often struggle to communicate because of language barriers, technical terms, time pressure, poor doctor-nurse communication and limited training. Nurse-led family meetings and plain explanations were reported to help families understand and feel less distressed.
• RNOther2025An Open, Noncomparative, Clinical Follow-up Study to Confirm Performance and Safety of a Gelling Fiber Dressing When Used on Split-thickness Skin Graft Donor Sites.Advances in skin & wound careSplit-thickness skin graft donor sites improved in 29 of 33 patients when a gelling fiber dressing with foam and tape or bandage was left in place for about 14 days. No comparator was used, so this does not show the regimen caused improvement.
• RNSurvey2025The Association of Sleep Quality With Anorexia in Patients With Heart Failure: Do Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Mediate This Association.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingIn 210 inpatients with heart failure, poorer sleep was linked to more appetite loss. Anxiety and depression were linked to both and may be part of the association. Screen sleep and mood when appetite is poor.
• RNOther2025Equitable Aging Among Migrants: A Concept Analysis and Model Development for Transcultural Nursing Care.Journal of transcultural nursing : official journal of the Transcultural Nursing SocietyEquitable aging for older migrants was described as fair access to health and social care, removing systemic barriers, and culturally responsive care. The nursing model built from this is not yet tested.
• RNQualitative2025Barriers and Equity in Paid Parental Leave: Insights from Diverse Postpartum Experiences in Connecticut.Journal of midwifery & women's healthPostpartum women said paid leave helped recovery but 12 weeks felt short, benefits were hard to find, and workplace stigma pressured early return. Nurses can discuss leave eligibility and help with applications during prenatal and postpartum care.
• RNOther2026The Role of Advance Care Planning on Community Dwelling Adults' Coping Abilities and Death Attitudes: A Sequential Mixed-Methods Study.Journal of clinical nursingCommunity-dwelling adults who had completed advance care planning had similar attitudes about death to those who had not. They reported better coping with death, describing relief that family knew their wishes, though some still feared death.
• RNRCT2026The Effect of the Care Ecosystem Collaborative Care Model on End-of-Life Outcomes for People With Dementia and Their Caregivers.The American journal of hospice & palliative careThe telephone Care Ecosystem did not improve caregiver satisfaction with end-of-life care for people with dementia. Caregivers in that group had higher self-efficacy before death.
• RNSystematic Review2026Clinical Trials in Central Venous Access Devices: An Evidence and Gap Map.Journal of advanced nursingCentral venous access device research over the past decade is concentrated on insertion and infection prevention, with little evidence on removal, pain, satisfaction, costs, and education tested by strong trials. Nurses should treat device care guidance as uneven rather than complete.
• RNQualitative2026Improving Access and Recruitment to Clinical Trials for Lung Cancer Patients: A Multi-Phase, Qualitative Focus Group and Co-Production Study.Journal of advanced nursingLung cancer patients, carers and clinicians described nurses often avoiding clinical trial talks because of low confidence and knowledge. A nurse poster and patient leaflet were made with them to prompt simple conversations. Their effect on recruitment was not tested.
• RNSurvey2026Mediating Effects of Parental Family Adaptation on the Quality of Life of Children With Down Syndrome: A Study of Father-Mother Dyads.Journal of advanced nursingIn parents of children with Down syndrome, parenting stress was linked to poorer family adaptation, and family adaptation was linked to children's quality of life. Stress did not directly predict child quality of life. This is an association study, not a tested treatment.
• RNOther2026Recovery From Anorexia Nervosa: A Concept Analysis.Journal of advanced nursingRecovery from anorexia nervosa is not a single endpoint but a complex, individualised process. While weight restoration is critical, it does not guarantee psychological health or quality of life. Clinicians should assess recovery using combined physical, psychological, and patient-reported measures rather than BMI alone.
• RNSystematic Review2025Benefits and Burdens of Research Participation: A Mixed Methods Systematic Review in Palliative and End-of-Life Care.Journal of hospice and palliative nursing : JHPN : the official journal of the Hospice and Palliative Nurses AssociationMost adults and families in palliative, end-of-life, or hospice research reported more benefits than burdens. Benefits were meaning, extra care, and helping others; burdens were emotional, physical, and intellectual. Trusted clinicians influenced participation.
• RNSurvey2025Emotional Distress in Patients With Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Study.The journal of nursing research : JNREmotional distress was common among cancer inpatients. A short questionnaire helped identify low dignity, demoralization, depression, and suicidal ideation, and may guide nurses on when to escalate care.
• RNRCT2025The Impact of Nurse-Led Peer Support Interventions on Psychological Status and Quality of Life After Acute Myocardial Infarction Stent Implantation in China.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingAfter stent implantation for heart attack, adults receiving 12 weeks of nurse-led peer support plus standard care had less anxiety, depression and stress than standard care alone, with better quality of life and medication adherence.
• RNOther2025Implementing a Quality Improvement Project to Reduce Incidents of Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injury.Advances in skin & wound careHospital-acquired pressure injuries fell from 3.4 to 1.7 per 1000 patient days after a bundle including assessment, repositioning, surfaces, nutrition and incontinence care, then to 0.8 by 2023.
• RNQualitative2025Insight Into the Role of Protestant Christianity in the Experience of Living With a Suicidal Relative: A Constructivist Grounded Theory Study.Journal of psychiatric and mental health nursingFor Protestant relatives of suicidal patients, faith was a double-edged sword. Believing the loved one would go to heaven brought peace, while fearing hell caused guilt and isolation. Nurses must ask about these specific religious beliefs to support coping effectively.
• RNQualitative2025Disease Burden and Sexual Life in Patients With Multiple Sclerosis: A Phenomenological Study.Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)People with multiple sclerosis described disease burden as pain, fatigue, balance problems, anxiety and social withdrawal. They also reported sexual reluctance, pain during intercourse, incontinence during sex, and coping through spouse support, prayer, vitamins or considering divorce.
• RNSurvey2025Sleep Hygiene, Sleep Quality, and Psychological Stress Among Adults With Cardiovascular Risk.Research in nursing & healthIn adults with hypertension and diabetes, poorer sleep hygiene was associated with higher stress. Unsafe at night, uncomfortable physical environment, uncomfortable temperature, and eating at bedtime were linked to stress. This is an association, not proof that changing habits lowers stress.
• RNOther2025Family Resilience in the ICU: A Concept Analysis.Nursing in critical careFamilies of ICU patients may regain control through four linked systems: family characteristics, beliefs, organisation and support. Existing resilience scales do not fully capture these ICU-specific attributes.
• RNOther2025Assessing the Cost-effectiveness of Pressure Injury Prevention Strategies in a Quasi-experimental Design.Advances in skin & wound careA pressure-injury prevention bundle was associated with more days without a pressure injury and lower total costs than routine care. But patients were not assigned by chance and bundle implementation cost was omitted, so treat the cost saving as tentative.
• RNRCT2025Safety and Cost Evaluation of Modified Medium-Length Catheters in Patients With Advanced Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of nursing care qualityModified midline catheters caused fewer infections, bleeds, and clots than PICCs in advanced cancer patients and cost less. Patient satisfaction was not significantly different. The lower complication rate suggests a safer option for palliative IV care.
• RNPilot2026Embedding a Palliative Care Nurse Consultant Within a General Medicine Ward: A Prospective Exploratory Study.Journal of clinical nursingStaff reported that an embedded palliative care nurse consultant helped start sensitive conversations earlier in a general medicine ward, but most patients lacked decision-making capacity and barriers to timely referral remained.
• RNOther2026Implementation of the 'Countdown to Theatre' Approach to Bridge the Evidence-Practice Gap in Paediatric Preoperative Fasting: A Quality Improvement Initiative.Journal of advanced nursingMean preoperative fasting was 7.6 hours before and 5.7 hours at 6 months after a nurse-delivered clear-fluids schedule with co-designed guidance, education, posters and support rounds; the study did not test whether this was more than chance.
• SLPRNSurvey2026Experiences and insights from parents of children with temporary feeding tubes.Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and communityParents of children with temporary nasogastric feeding tubes found insertion distressing and home management hard, especially after discharge. They valued clear information and involvement in decisions, but some got inconsistent advice and wanted peer support.
• RNQualitative2025Infection-Control Protocol Acceptability in Skilled Nursing Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationStaff and residents in two nursing homes generally accepted color-coded infection-risk pairing, though many residents did not understand the system and worried about segregation. Clear communication about reassignments was the main implementation need.
• RNOther2025Construction and validation of a mobile technology to support mothers of preterm newborns.Revista brasileira de enfermagemExperts rated a new app for preterm baby care as clear and relevant. It covers Kangaroo care, feeding, and warning signs. It is not yet tested in real homes, so it cannot prove better outcomes or safer discharge for your patients.
• RNPilot2025E-Cigarette Use Prevention Among Youth.International journal of addiction nursingA nurse-led presentation increased e-cigarette knowledge in 24 adults who work with youth, but it did not test whether this changed youth vaping. Adults most commonly missed that e-cigarettes produce aerosol, not vapor, and that one pod holds nicotine equal to two packs of cigarettes.
• RNSurvey2025Enhancing Parent Support During Emergency Department Visits for Suicidal Adolescents.International journal of mental health nursingParents of adolescents presenting to an ED in suicide crisis overwhelmingly wanted help caring for their child after discharge, especially talking with ED staff. Only 25.2% received information about caring for the child after discharge, and many rated support poor.
• RNSystematic Review2025Inner Strength-A Systematic Review of Qualitative Empirical Studies.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesInner strength was used inconsistently in qualitative healthcare studies. When treated as a concept, it described connectedness, personal resource, growth through illness, and positive outlook; many articles used it as everyday language without clear meaning.
• RNOther2025Minimum nurse staffing policy intervention in Queensland Australia improved nurse wellbeing and patient safety: A quasi-experimental intervention study.International journal of nursing studiesMandated minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in Queensland hospitals significantly reduced nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction. Nurses reported better patient safety and quality of care, with a 24% lower odds of high burnout and 27% lower odds of job dissatisfaction post-policy.
• RNQualitative2025Addressing Weight-Related Bullying in Schools: Youth Perspectives on School Policies and Interventions.The Journal of school health71.6% of youth respondents had seen weight-related bullying. They wanted education, consequences, and policies naming weight, but some said school weight checks and letters about weight could make things worse.
• RNCohort2025Social Connectedness and Successful Nursing Home Discharge After Heart Failure Hospitalization.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationIn veterans after heart failure hospitalization who entered skilled nursing care, staff-rated high social connectedness was linked to successful community discharge within 90 days. It was an association, not proof that boosting connection causes better discharge.
• RNOther2025Association of Language Barriers and Depression Among Latino and Non-Latino White US Nursing Home Residents.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationDepression was common among nursing home residents, but Latino residents were less likely to have depression documented, especially those needing a Spanish interpreter. This may signal under-recognition, not lower need.