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.

1,865 PAPERS · PAGE 5 OF 38 · NEWEST FIRST

• RNCohort2026Factors Affecting the Quality of Life of Parents of Children With Spina Bifida: The Mediating Role of Family Resilience.Journal of advanced nursingParental quality of life was lower when parents had more depression or stress, had low income, or had children needing enemas. Family resilience was linked to better quality of life and partly linked depression to quality of life.
• RNOther2026Indigenous Peoples' Experiences in Palliative and End-of-Life Care in Canada: A Scoping Review.Journal of advanced nursingIndigenous people in Canada described barriers to palliative and end-of-life care, including delays, less home support, culturally unsafe practices, and isolation when transferred for care. Many preferred dying at home with family and cultural practices.
• RNOther2026Pain Assessment and Management Among Nursing Home Residents Living With Dementia.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management NursesIn nursing home residents with dementia, 74% had pain assessed with the wrong tool, and only three assessments used an observation tool appropriately. Pain was rarely recorded, but that may reflect poor assessment rather than good control.
• RNSurvey2026Mediating Effects of Family and Clinical Characteristics on the Quality of Life of Children With Spina Bifida and Their Parents.Journal of advanced nursingIn 141 spina bifida parent-child pairs, higher parenting stress tracked with lower quality of life for both. Family resilience was part of this link. Transition readiness was not part of the link overall, but may matter when children had incontinence, catheter or mobility needs.
• RNNarrative Review2026Social Frailty in Heart Failure: Concept, Impact and Preventive Strategies.Journal of advanced nursingHeart failure patients often have social frailty: inadequate support, loneliness or engagement. In cohorts it was linked to higher death and readmission risk, and poorer self-care, but no tested strategy for heart failure was shown.
• RNSurvey2026The Perspectives of Families in Decision-Making Conflicts Related to Palliative Care Patients With Mechanical Ventilation in Taiwan.The American journal of hospice & palliative careAmong 127 family members of ventilator-dependent patients, 61.4% reported conflict about palliative care decisions. The strongest links were patients having no other chronic illness, family being unable to accept palliative care, and hesitation. This describes family distress, not an intervention effect.
• RNSurvey2025Pregnancy, Birth, and Mental Health Outcomes Associated With Recent Reproductive Coercion and Intimate Partner Violence in a Crowd-Sourced National Sample.Journal of midwifery & women's healthReproductive coercion alone was linked to preterm birth and low birth weight, but when combined with other partner violence, the risk of unplanned pregnancy and suicidal thoughts rose sharply. Screening for coercion and violence is essential for perinatal mental health.
• RNOther2025A retrospective records review comparing the care of patients who either avoided or were admitted to an ICU following a ward-based deterioration event.Intensive & critical care nursingPatients who died after ward deterioration had higher care scores than survivors. Most survivors avoided ICU by responding to ward treatment, but 33 of 340 still had an unresolved warning score at discharge.
• RNSurvey2025Climate Change Awareness: Does It Affect the Fertility Desire?Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)Higher climate change awareness was associated with slightly lower fertility desire in 440 married women without children in Türkiye. The link was weak, so climate concern alone should not be assumed to explain childbearing plans.
• RNSystematic Review2025eHealth Solutions for Symptom Assessment and Monitoring in Adults With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Systematic Review.Journal of clinical nursingAdults with chronic kidney disease found symptom-monitoring apps and tablets acceptable, but only some studies showed symptom or quality-of-life gains. Use eHealth to prompt monitoring and communication, not as proven treatment.
• RNMeta-Analysis2025Family Involvement Interventions on Fear of Cancer Recurrence Management Among Women With Breast Cancer and Their Caregivers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical nursingNurse-led family involvement interventions lowered fear of cancer recurrence in women with breast cancer immediately after the intervention. Caregiver fear was measured in one trial and did not clearly fall. Effects were short-term only, with no follow-up.
• PTOTRNCohort2025Adding Functional Ability Measures to a Mortality Algorithm to Support Palliative Care Eligibility Decisions.Research in gerontological nursingIn older adults, receiving physical or occupational therapy was linked to lower odds of death, while needing help with daily activities or skilled nursing was linked to higher odds. These functional markers could help identify patients who need palliative care sooner.
• RNCohort2026The Role of Nursing Diagnoses in Enhancing Prognostic Accuracy in Home-Based Cancer Care: Insights From a Retrospective Cohort Study.Journal of clinical nursingIn home-based cancer care, nurses' documented diagnoses of poor nutrition and death anxiety, plus a high palliative prognostic score and terminal illness, were associated with death. They may help flag patients needing earlier comfort-focused palliative care.
• RNSystematic Review2026Diverse Parental Experiences of Kangaroo Care in Neonatal Units Across Healthcare Systems: A Meta-Synthesis.Journal of advanced nursingAcross 25 studies, parents described Kangaroo Care as emotionally rewarding but physically and psychologically hard. Staff support, privacy, practical teaching and family help were linked to continuing, especially where resources were limited.
• RNSurvey2026Childhood abuse and maladaptive coping in care leavers: An exploratory study on attachment and Early Maladaptive Schemas.Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and communityCare leavers reported very high childhood maltreatment, attachment insecurity and maladaptive coping. In this small study, anxiety about closeness and beliefs about rejection were linked to more coping difficulties; avoidance was linked to fewer.
• RNOther2026Multiprofessional Family Care for Women With Gynaecological Cancer.Journal of advanced nursingFamily care for women with gynaecological cancer is incidental rather than systematic. Professionals rarely identify relatives or involve them in care. Nurses rated their interaction skills higher than physicians did, but observation showed few family-focused discussions occurred.
• RNSurvey2026Beyond the Ratios: Evidence for Optimal Minimum Nurse-Patient-Ratios in Medical-Surgical Settings.Journal of advanced nursingNurse-reported quality and safety outcomes deteriorated when assigned more than four patients per shift. This supports a 1:4 nurse-to-patient ratio in medical-surgical settings, though the data is from 2015 and relies on self-reports rather than patient records.
• RNSurvey2026Grief and Psychopathology in Bereaved Caregivers of Palliative Care Patients: The Mediating and Moderating Roles of Distress, Burden and Social Support.Journal of advanced nursingFor families caring for palliative patients, higher grief risk was tied to more mental health symptoms when emotional burden was high or practical support was low. High support seemed to weaken this link. This was measured at one time.
• RNCohort2026Incidence and Characteristics of Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries in Acute Palliative Care Patients: A Four-Year Analysis.Journal of clinical nursingIn a palliative care unit, 78 of 1976 acute-phase admissions developed hospital-acquired pressure injuries over four years. Higher symptom severity was reported as a predictor, while palliative care phase alone was not.
• OTSLPRNSystematic Review2026The Experiences of People From Ethnic Minority Backgrounds Living in Care Homes-A Qualitative Systematic Review.Journal of advanced nursingResidents and families said care homes were hard when language, food, beliefs and family roles did not fit their culture. Communication barriers were central; familiar staff, meals and rituals were described as important.
• RNPilot2026Evaluating a Group-Based Intervention Addressing Fear of Childbirth in Multiparous Pregnant Women: A Mixed Methods Feasibility Study.Journal of advanced nursingA group intervention for women who had given birth before and feared childbirth was feasible and well accepted. Fear scores fell, but without a control group and with usual maternity care also given, this cannot show the intervention caused the change.
• RNRCT2026How does addressing diabetes distress lead to positive glycemic change? Results from the EMBARK trial.Patient education and counselingAdults with type 1 diabetes and high distress who joined group programs had lower distress and lower HbA1c after 12 months. Programs that included emotional validation improved distress and problem solving more than education alone. Lower HbA1c was linked with more low glucose episodes.
• RNQualitative2026The Family Caregiver Role From the Perspective of Older Women Experiencing Poverty in a High-Income Country: A Qualitative Study.Journal of advanced nursingOlder women caring for relatives in poverty relied mainly on daughters, granddaughters and neighbours, not formal services. They described skipping food, losing dignity, and seeing care as a woman's duty, while feeling unsupported by health and social services.
• RNMeta-Analysis2025Effectiveness of Virtual Reality Interventions for Perioperative Anxiety in Adults: A Systemic Review With Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical nursingThe combined analysis did not show a significant reduction in preoperative anxiety with virtual reality. Individual studies often reported lower anxiety and higher satisfaction, but findings were inconsistent.
• RNOther2025Pregnancy Burden: An Integrative Review and Dimensional Analysis of Pregnancy's Hidden Challenges.Journal of midwifery & women's healthPregnancy burden appeared across five areas: health, education, finances, inequity and social support. It can be physical, emotional and hidden, and may continue after birth.
• RNNarrative Review2025The Role of Technology Use in the Context of Social Isolation Among Immigrant Older Adults.The Canadian journal of nursing research = Revue canadienne de recherche en sciences infirmieresImmigrant older adults used technology to stay connected when local contact was hard, but language, low education, cost and digital skills limited access. This review does not show that technology or nurse screening improves isolation.
• RNOther2025Seclusion Rates and Workplace Violence on a Psychiatric Emergency Department Unit.Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses AssociationAfter adding violence screening, patient-specified agitation factors, de-escalation preferences, handoff communication, staff training, and post-incident debriefs on a psychiatric emergency unit, seclusion hours fell from 5.56 to 3.73 per 1,000 length-of-stay hours, and workplace violence reports fell from four to three.
• RNCohort2026Model Predicting Positive Aspects of Caregiving Among Family Cares of Persons With Dementia: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.Journal of advanced nursingFamily carers of people with dementia reported more positive aspects of caregiving when they had confidence in controlling upsetting thoughts and getting respite, and when they reframed the situation. Active dementia management strategies did not predict this.
• PTOTRNMeta-Analysis2026Effects of Psychosocial Interventions on Loneliness Amongst Long-Term Care Residents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of advanced nursingFace-to-face group activities lasting under eight weeks cut loneliness in long-term care residents. Lifestyle activities like laughter, gardening and exercise worked better than psychological therapies. Virtual visits with family showed no benefit.
• RNSystematic Review2026Effectiveness of Organisational Strategies for Pressure Injury Prevention and Treatment in Acute Hospital Settings: A Systematic Review.Journal of advanced nursingOrganisational bundles combining education, audit and feedback, and leadership support reduced pressure injury incidence in three of seven studies, though overall evidence was inconclusive. The specific mix of strategies needed for success remains unclear, and results varied widely across acute hospital settings.
• RNQualitative2026Parental decision-making for non-urgent emergency department presentations in Victoria, Australia.Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and communityParents who took a child to an emergency department for a non-urgent problem said anxiety and lack of timely primary care made the ED feel like the only place. They wanted quick reassurance and answers, not always a better doctor.
• RNSystematic Review2025How Do Spouses Experience Living Alone After Their Partner With Dementia Moves Into a Care Home?Journal of clinical nursingSpouses left at home after a partner with dementia enters a care home often describe loss, guilt and grief. Visiting can feel like duty, surveillance or relieving loneliness. Some report practical relief, yet many feel unable to move on.
• PTRNCohort2025Predicting Post-ICU Functional Impairment During Early ICU Admission Using Real-world Electronic Health Record Data.Clinical nursing researchLower AMPAC, older age, reduced nurse-documented mobility, lower Braden, and prior walking device in the first 24 hours predicted functional impairment at discharge in adults with ICU sepsis.
• RNCohort2025Relationship Between Fatigue, Perceived Social Support and Symptomatology of Long-COVID Patients in Spain.Scandinavian journal of caring sciencesSpanish Long-COVID patients with higher fatigue reported lower social support, and symptoms affecting movement were linked to low support. The survey shows association, not that support reduces symptoms.
• RNCohort2025Patient-Reported Symptoms of Acute Coronary Syndrome in the Prehospital Period in a Prospective Study: Implications for Emergency Nurse Triage, Diagnosis, and Clinical Outcomes.Journal of emergency nursingIn suspected ACS, ambulance sweating and ED chest pressure, chest discomfort, or unusual fatigue were linked to final ACS diagnosis. Most symptoms eased before ED arrival, but unusual fatigue rose. Shortness of breath was linked to adverse events.
• RNQualitative2025Attitudes towards different weight loss approaches among adults with type 2 diabetes and obesity.Patient education and counselingAdults with type 2 diabetes and obesity preferred lifestyle changes first, then medication, and saw surgery as last resort. In 30 interviews, they wanted clinicians to avoid labels, personalize weight talk, and compare risks, benefits, and costs.
• RNCase-Control2025Postpartum Hemorrhage and the Likelihood of Exclusive Breastfeeding Through 6 Months Postpartum: A Case-Control Study.Journal of midwifery & women's healthPeople who had postpartum hemorrhage were less likely to exclusively breastfeed at 4 and 6 months and stopped about 5 weeks earlier. The study shows an association, not that hemorrhage caused lower breastfeeding.
• RNSystematic Review2025An Integrative Review on Exploring Organ Donation After Death by Circulatory Criteria in Canada.Progress in transplantation (Aliso Viejo, Calif.)Canadian donation after circulatory death has grown, but published practice varies in medications, timing, airway management and local protocols; guidance recommends clear withdrawal-of-care protocols, family communication and separation of roles.
• RNCohort2025Buprenorphine Is Associated With Lower Home Opioid Use and Acute Care Utilization in Sickle Cell Disease.Pain management nursing : official journal of the American Society of Pain Management NursesIn adults with sickle cell disease who started buprenorphine, ED visits, pain hospitalizations, infusion visits, and home opioid doses were lower after induction. This small single-center before-and-after study does not prove buprenorphine caused the reductions.
• RNOther2026Understanding Why Parents Say Yes or No to Organ Donation When Their Child Dies: Mixed-Methods Study.Journal of advanced nursingParents approached about organ donation as an end-of-life option for their child consented 49% of the time, and the rate fell from 59% to 37%. Nurse notes recorded timing, distress, beliefs, surgery concerns and limited time after death as factors in choices.
• RNSystematic Review2026The Nurse's Role in Curative-to-Palliative Transitions in Advanced Cancer: A Theory Synthesis Using Turner's Method.Journal of advanced nursingNurses in curative-to-palliative cancer transitions perform visible advocacy, coordination and communication, plus invisible emotional, cultural and informal work. A framework from 15 qualitative studies names these roles but does not test whether they improve outcomes.
• RNQualitative2026How Classmates Experience Visiting Their Hospitalised Peer During Cancer Treatment: A RESPECT Study.Journal of advanced nursingClassmates visiting hospitalised peers felt excited and motivated to support them, but needed nurse briefings and adult backup to handle uncertainty, hospital rules and the child’s changing condition.
• RNQualitative2026'It's Skin Cancer'… a Rollercoaster of a Journey for Teenagers, Young People and Their Significant Other.Journal of advanced nursingYoung people with melanoma and their family members or partners described repeated GP visits, unclear cancer news, feeling unlike other cancer patients, and fear after follow-up ends. Plain communication and ongoing links to specialist services were what they said they needed.
• RNOther2026Regular Medications Administered to Older Adults in Aged Care Facilities: A Retrospective Descriptive Study.Journal of clinical nursingIn Australian aged care, 78% of older adults were administered five or more regular medications daily. Paracetamol and laxatives were most administered, and quetiapine was given to 6%. This shows medication burden, not whether these medicines should be stopped.
• RNSurvey2026Patients' Perceptions About the Quality of Nurses' Communication During Acute Hospitalisation: A Cross-Sectional Survey.Journal of advanced nursingPatients rated nurses' communication highly for respect and care. Shared decision-making items were rated excellent less often, including care planning and encouraging questions.
• RNSurvey2025Employment Status, Decision-Making, and Sleep Among Hispanic and Latinx Dementia Family Caregivers: A Secondary Data Analysis.Western journal of nursing researchHispanic and Latinx caregivers involved in more everyday decisions for relatives with dementia slept less each night. Full-time work alone was not associated with sleep, but the link between more decisions and shorter sleep was weaker among those employed full-time.
• RNRCT2025Effect of Peer Education on Early Breast Cancer Detection, Health Responsibility, Health Beliefs, Knowledge, and Practices Among University Students.Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)Peer education by nursing students significantly improved university women's breast self-examination skills and knowledge. Regular practice rose from 4.8% to 58.1% in the intervention group, while perceived barriers remained unchanged compared to controls.
• RNRCT2025Rethinking Regret: Reappraisal Tendencies Buffer Regret for ICU Surrogates Following Patient Death.Western journal of nursing researchSurrogates of ICU patients who died were 4.3 times more likely to report regret than surrogates of survivors. Higher baseline ability to reinterpret the decision was linked to lower regret after death, but no intervention was tested.
• RNSystematic Review2025Inclusion of Informal Carers in the Care of Older Adults in the Emergency Department: An Integrative Review.Journal of clinical nursingCarers of older adults in emergency departments provide vital baseline information and emotional support, but often feel excluded by restrictive policies or busy staff. Successful inclusion requires clear communication, carer education, and flexible visitation policies to ensure safe care and discharge.
• RNRCT2025Impact of a psychoeducational intervention to improve caregiver knowledge and attitudes toward palliative cancer care.Patient education and counselingA short video about palliative care improved family caregivers' knowledge, but did not improve attitudes. It may help start end-of-life care conversations, not change how caregivers feel about palliative care.