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 199 OF 216 · NEWEST FIRST

• RNMeta-Analysis2026Incidence and Risk Factors of Limb Ischaemia in Adult Patients Receiving Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Nursing in critical care16.9% of adults on peripheral V-A ECMO developed limb ischaemia. Pre-existing PAD, unsuccessful percutaneous cannulation and shorter height raised risk, but PAD evidence was unstable.
• RNQualitative2026Co-Designing End-of-Life Care for People With Pre-Existing Severe Mental Illness: Insights From Multiple Stakeholder Consultations.International journal of mental health nursingPeople with severe mental illness and staff described end-of-life care as late, poorly assessed, and stigmatised. Stakeholders co-designed priorities: simpler assessment tools, legal help, dying-in-place protocols, and joint palliative-mental health training.
• RNCohort2026The Association Between Levels of Post-Discharge Care Continuity and Long-Term Treatment Adherence and Anxiety-Depressive Symptoms in Myocardial Infarction Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Nursing openIn myocardial infarction patients, structured post-discharge follow-up, medication and psychological content, and coordinated care were associated with better medication adherence and fewer anxiety-depression symptoms. This is an association from records, not proof that adding these care components causes improvement.
• RNQualitative2026How Nurses Communicate About Amputation and Death in Specialised Outpatient Wound Clinics-A Qualitative Study.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesNurses in chronic wound clinics focused on wound healing and often avoided conversations about amputation or death. They cited limited skills, time, unclear roles, and fear of removing hope. Some patients raised amputation because of pain or exhaustion.
• RNOther2026Motivation to Engage in Self-Care of Heart Failure: An Ecological Momentary Assessment.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingFor people with heart failure, morning intention predicted evening weighing and exercise, not diet. Motivation did not change these links. Medication adherence was too stable to model daily.
• RNCohort2026An Updated Mortality and Community Discharge Prognostic Model for Older Adults Admitted to Skilled Nursing Facilities for Post-Acute Care.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationAdding skilled nursing facility assessment data to Medicare claims improved prediction of death within six months and return to the community without rehospitalization or death within 30 days. The model applies to patients still in the facility on day seven.
• RNOther2026Development of Telenursing Guidelines to Improve the Quality of Services in Diabetic Wound Care in a Hospital in Thailand: Case Study.JMIR nursingIn 20 patients with diabetic wounds, telenursing follow-up was paired with wound care and assessments, and wound severity scores fell significantly over 8 weeks. No amputations were reported, but there was no control group, so this cannot prove telenursing alone healed wounds.
• RNOther2026Opportunities to Improve Nutrition for Patients in Hospital After Discharge From an Intensive Care Unit: A Human Factors Analysis.Nursing in critical carePost-ICU ward nutrition is often delayed because intake is poorly documented, dietitian referral is often missed, and NG tube checks or procedure breaks interrupt feeds. Nurses can monitor intake, refer early, and avoid early NG tube removal.
• RNQualitative2026Exploring Men's Perception of Participating in the Natural Childbirth Process: A Qualitative Content Analysis.International journal of community based nursing and midwiferyFifteen Iranian men wanted to learn how to support vaginal birth but feared pain, stigma and staff refusal. They asked for classes for men and delivery settings that accept them.
• RNSystematic Review2026People Living with HIV Experiences from Peer Support: A Meta-Synthesis.International journal of community based nursing and midwiferyPeople living with HIV valued peer support for connection, HIV knowledge, adherence, and reduced isolation. They also reported confidentiality fears, unstable groups, and harmful peer pressure to stop treatment.
• PTRNOther2026Is a Hybrid Pulmonary Rehabilitation Programme Feasible and Effective in Individuals With COPD After an Exacerbation-Related Hospitalisation: A Mixed Methods Study.Journal of clinical nursing21 patients who completed a hybrid home pulmonary rehabilitation programme rated it 95/100 and reported improvements in exercise, symptoms, anxiety and depression. These are before-and-after feasibility findings, not proof it works.
• RNQualitative2026Pretesting Parenting Instruments with Indigenous Fathers and Two-Spirit Parents: A Qualitative Study.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieresSix Indigenous fathers and Two-Spirit parents found common parenting and depression questionnaires confusing, culturally narrow, and unsafe around self-harm wording. They asked for plain language, clearer scales, and immediate culturally safe support before use.
• RNQualitative2026Exploring the Relationship Between Palliative Care Knowledge, Health Concerns, and Education Among Seriously Ill Older Adults and Their Family Caregivers Using Survey and Interview Data: A Novel Approach.The American journal of hospice & palliative carePeople who declined palliative care often understood it could help stress but still worried. Those who did not know it could help stress were all worried and had less education. Ask about stress and side effects before explaining what palliative care can do.
• RNSurvey2026Informal Caregivers' Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice on the Prevention, Care, and Healing of People With Pressure Injuries: A Cross-Sectional Study in China.Advances in skin & wound careFamily caregivers of pressure injury patients in China scored 0.5% of the maximum for knowledge, 86.90% for attitude, and 41.87% for practice.
• RNSurvey2026Consumer Perspectives on PICU Safety and Quality.Nursing in critical careFamilies ranked nurse staffing on shift, visible patient goals, medication complications, long-term disability follow-up and bloodstream infection as top PICU safety measures. They also wanted bedside handover and clearer communication after mistakes.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026Global Prevalence of Chronic Pain Among Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Proportional Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies.Worldviews on evidence-based nursingAbout 41% of cancer survivors had chronic pain lasting at least 3 months across 36 studies. Rates varied widely by region, cancer type, and how long pain had lasted.
• RNCohort2026Effects of Lateral Positions in Second-Stage Labour on Maternal and Neonatal Outcomes: An Observational Study Using Propensity Score Matching Analysis.International journal of nursing practiceLateral positions during second-stage labour reduced episiotomy rates in first-time mothers but increased blood loss at two hours postpartum. For mothers who had given birth before, lateral positions showed no significant benefit or harm compared to lithotomy positions.
• PTRNQualitative2026Surviving a Critical Care Admission for COVID-19: A Qualitative Study of Experiences and Unmet Needs During the Recovery Period.Nursing in critical careFifteen COVID-19 ICU survivors said they often did not feel as unwell as they were, then found recovery confusing and support too late. They wanted clear explanations, early practical help, and consistent follow-up.
• RNQualitative2026Close, Yet Limited: The Conditional Nature of Family Involvement in the ICU.Nursing in critical careICU relatives described participation as conditional: caregivers decided when they could be involved, while relatives often had to initiate contact. Being close, recognised as a person, and given repeated information made involvement possible.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026Performance of Malnutrition Screening Tools on People With Chronic Diseases: A Bivariate Meta-Analysis.The journal of nursing research : JNRMST, MUST and NRS-2002 detected malnutrition risk reasonably well, but none strongly changed the chance of malnutrition compared with PG-SGA. Use them to flag risk, not diagnose.
• RNCohort2026Validation of PREdiction of DELIRium in ICu Patients (PRE-DELIRIC) Among Patients With Severe Pneumonia: A Prospective Cohort Study.Nursing in critical careThe PRE-DELIRIC prediction tool did not identify delirium risk well in ICU severe pneumonia patients. In 173 patients, prediction was poor. Nurses should not use it alone to target prevention; CAM-ICU checks remain important.
• PTRNRCT2026Effectiveness of a digital technology-assisted personalized exercise prescription in the telerehabilitation of postoperative coronary heart disease patients: A randomized controlled trial.International journal of nursing sciencesPeak oxygen uptake did not improve more with the digital personalized home rehabilitation program than usual care in low-risk patients after coronary intervention. Submaximal endurance, exercise duration, and some quality-of-life scores showed secondary benefits.
• RNRCT2026Design and assessment of an intervention for parents of premature newborns: a mixed-methods study.Revista latino-americana de enfermagemThe primary outcome was null. Competency scores did not differ significantly between the intervention and usual care groups at discharge or one week after. The pilot suggests the intervention is acceptable and may reduce basic care hospitalization days, but effect data are inconclusive.
• RNCohort2026Factors Associated With Initial Type of Long-Term Services and Supports Among Dual-Eligible Beneficiaries.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationAmong older adults starting long-term care, half began with home services and half in nursing homes. Black adults and women were more likely to start at home. ADRD, prior hospitalization, older age, and higher education were associated with starting in nursing homes.
• RNSurvey2026Multidimensional Factors Are Related to Caregiver Burden: Findings From a National Experience Sampling Survey.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesCaregivers reported daily swings in mood and health concerns. Higher self-esteem was linked to less negative mood, fewer health worries and more positive mood. Caregiving hours and emotional support were linked to negative mood, but the study did not test treatments.
• RNSystematic Review2026Social Isolation and Loneliness in People Living With Chronic Kidney Disease and Kidney Failure: A Mixed Method Systematic Review.Journal of renal careAdults in the included studies said dialysis schedules, infection fears, and changed routines narrowed social life. Loneliness and depression were described, though two studies found low loneliness or no link to depression.
• RNCohort2026Can I Stay, or Must I Go Now? A Cohort Study of Discharge Appeals in a Post-Acute Skilled Nursing Facility.Journal of the American Medical Directors AssociationThirty-six of 47 SNF patients lost their final discharge appeal, and most patients had notes documenting patient or family concerns about readiness rather than clinician concerns. Outcome differences were descriptive only.
• RNOther2026Comparison of Two Analytical Approaches to Dyadic Illness Management Among Patient-Caregiver Dyads in Type 2 Diabetes.Nursing researchIn 251 diabetes patient-caregiver pairs, simple raw scores and model-based estimates found the same three patterns: low joint engagement, high joint engagement, and mismatch with patients reporting more than caregivers.
• RNQualitative2026Experiences of people diagnosed with malaria regarding signs and symptoms at a selected village in the Vhembe District, Limpopo province, South Africa.CurationisPeople with malaria described headaches, dizziness, fever, chills, vomiting, fatigue and trouble sleeping. They sought care quickly after health education, a prior episode, a sick child or family encouragement; delay was linked to ignorance and lack of money.
• RNOther2026Medication Reconciliation in Outpatient Psychiatry: An Indicator of Communication With Primary Care? A Quantitative Descriptive Study.Journal of advanced nursingIn this outpatient psychiatry setting, 84.8% of the 33 patients with data showed at least one medication discrepancy between their psychiatrist and GP records. This highlights a major communication gap, but the small sample and lack of patient interviews limit certainty.
• RNSurvey2026Association Among Self-Compassion, Resilience, Positive Mental Health and Risk of Gaming Disorder in 18-30 Year Old Population in China and Thailand: A Cross-Regional Study.Nursing openHigher self-compassion was linked to lower gaming disorder risk in young adults. Moderate mental health was linked to higher risk than flourishing mental health. Resilience was not linked to risk.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026Standards for Hospital Falls Prevention and Management: An International Comparative Analysis.Journal of advanced nursingHospital falls standards varied widely. Many mentioned falls rarely and omitted key evidence-based details, such as screening timing, injury data and patient education. Do not assume a local standard reflects current falls guidelines.
• RNOther2026Development and validation of a serial album on pregnancy for expectant mothers and healthcare professionals.Revista brasileira de enfermagemPregnant women and experts rated a 30-page prenatal album clear and relevant. Twelve women gave 100% positive responses, and expert agreement was 0.92. Nurses can use it as an education aid; it was not tested for birth outcomes.
• RNQualitative2026Constructing Menopause on Sweden's Official Healthcare Platform: A Critical Discourse Analysis.Scandinavian journal of caring sciences1177.se menopause content often calls symptoms mild discomfort, omits phase details, stresses breast-cancer risk, and assumes Swedish-speaking heterosexual women. This may limit informed choice and patient education.
• RNCohort2026Comparison of Two Artificial Liver Treatments for Acute Liver Failure: A Retrospective Observational Study.Nursing in critical carePlasma exchange alone had lower total bilirubin and lower INR after treatment than dual plasma molecular adsorption plus plasma exchange, while the dual treatment had more adverse events. The authors still favoured dual treatment for bilirubin.
• PTOTRNSystematic Review2026Impact of Lymphedema on Women's Lives After Gynaecological Cancer: An Integrative Review.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesWomen after gynaecological cancer described lower-limb lymphedema as swelling, heaviness, pain and body-image distress that limited walking, work, clothing and sex. Clinicians often missed or delayed diagnosis. Women often had to self-manage.
• RNOther2026Exploring the Impact of Safewards on Aggression and Coercion in Psychiatric Inpatient Care: Findings From a Swedish Longitudinal Quasi-Experimental Trial.International journal of mental health nursingSafewards did not show reduced coercive measures or aggressive incidents in Swedish psychiatric wards. Staff reported Safewards becoming more routine over time.
• PTRNCohort2026Unique contributions of heart failure and chronic pain on physical function and quality of life in older adults.Geriatric nursing (New York, N.Y.)After accounting for age, sex, race, comorbidities, depression and fatigue, heart failure alone was not associated with higher chronic pain prevalence. Older adults with both heart failure and chronic pain had worse quality of life and physical function than those with either or neither.
• RNSurvey2025Psychometric Testing of the Updated Self-Care of Heart Failure Index Version 8.0 Using Item Response Theory.The Journal of cardiovascular nursingA revised 23-item heart failure self-care questionnaire gives a consistent picture of patients' daily care, symptom checking, and response to symptoms, especially when self-care is not already excellent.
• RNCohort2026Nursing Implications of Enteral Nutrition Timing in Sepsis Patients Stratified by Modified NUTRIC Score: A Retrospective Observational Study.Nursing in critical careIn low-risk sepsis patients, enteral nutrition timing showed no significant ICU mortality difference. In high-risk patients, mortality was lower with EN at 24-48 hours than before 24 hours or after 48 hours.
• RNOther2026Effectiveness of the Semi-Automated Post-ANaesthesia Discharge Assessment Tool: A Pre-Post Study Using Propensity Score Matching.Nursing in critical carePANDA, an electronic discharge checklist completed by PACU nurses, reduced length of stay by 16 minutes on average. All surveyed nurses found it simple; most found it acceptable and feasible. It is a single-centre pre-post study.
• RNCohort2026Preoperative smoking cessation: Is it a trigger for long-term abstinence?Journal of perioperative practicePlastic surgery patients who complied with preoperative smoking cessation instructions were not significantly more likely to be abstinent at 1 year. They had a longer median time before relapse: 2 months versus < 1 month.
• RNSurvey2026Contraception and Amenorrhea: An Exploratory Cross-Sectional Study on Acceptability in Filipino/Filipino-American Women.Journal of transcultural nursing : official journal of the Transcultural Nursing SocietyMost Filipino and Filipino-American women in this survey disliked monthly periods, but 56% would not consider contraception that stops them. Many believed stopping periods was harmful. Philippine-born women who immigrated as young adults or older were more likely to avoid it.
• RNRCT2026The effect of infantile anti-colic massage and kangaroo care on postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression and maternal function of mothers.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PFor mothers of colicky infants, adding colic massage or kangaroo care to routine care for three weeks improved maternal function and lowered postpartum anxiety and depression more than routine care. Massage lowered depression more than kangaroo care.
• RNQualitative2026Experiences of Breastfeeding Complications in Rural and Regional Victoria: Perspectives From Mothers and Clinicians.The Australian journal of rural healthRural mothers described breastfeeding as harder than expected, with tongue tie, mastitis, supply and latch problems common. Clinicians reported variable training, and mothers often did not know about urgent local support. This describes experiences, not proof that any service works.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026The Effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Interventions on Preoperative and Postoperative Anxiety Among Patients Undergoing Abdominal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Worldviews on evidence-based nursingFor adults having elective abdominal surgery, non-drug approaches lowered anxiety before and after surgery. Preoperative counseling had the largest effect; relaxation exercises may reduce opioid use and speed bowel recovery, but no intervention shortened hospital stay.
• RNSystematic Review2026Exploring Afghan Refugees' Post-Resettlement Experiences in North America: A Scoping Review.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieresAfghan refugees in North America reported language barriers, miscommunication, and avoidance of cancer screening. Women preferred female providers and interpreters, and family support, provider reminders, and prayer encouraged screening. Mental health symptoms were common, but no interventions were tested.
• RNQualitative2026'Something Was Missing': A Qualitative Study of Parents' Expectations in Weight-Related Health Care for Children.Journal of advanced nursingParents of children with higher weight wanted clinicians to know their family, protect children from blame, and give concrete, coordinated support. They described generic weight advice and delayed follow-up as leaving them unsupported.
• RNMeta-Analysis2026A meta-analysis of the literature evaluating the impact of vitamin D on female fertility and ovarian reserve function.Revista da Escola de Enfermagem da U S PVitamin D supplementation was associated with higher ovulation and pregnancy rates in women with fertility problems, but it did not improve a blood marker of ovarian reserve. Trial quality was poor, so this should not be taken as proof.
• RNCohort2026Willingness to Test for HIV and Initiate Post-exposure Prophylaxis Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women Seeking Emergency Contraceptive Pills in Pharmacies in Nairobi and Kisumu, Kenya: A Longitudinal Study.The Journal of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care : JANAC79% of young women seeking emergency contraception in Kenyan pharmacies wanted HIV testing, and 73% wanted PEP, but only 10.5% of followed-up participants tested and started PEP. Interest did not equal uptake.