The effect of warm salt water foot bath on the management of chemotherapy-induced fatigue

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

INTRODUCTION

Terminally 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 ANALYSIS

This 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 DISSEMINATION

This 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.

Effect of Local Warm Compression on Restless Leg Syndrome and Fatigue among Critical Care Nurses: A Parallel Randomized Clinical Trial

Methods and Materials

This parallel randomized clinical trial was conducted on 120 CCNs in Shahroud by the census sampling method. Inclusion criteria included suffering from restless leg syndrome and having no wound or inflammation over the organ. The participants were assigned into two groups by the use of quadruple blocks. The intervention group received the warm compress for 12 sessions lasting 4 weeks and the control group did not receive an intervention. Data were collected using multidimensional fatigue inventory (MFI) and the Restless Legs Syndrome Scale and then analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics (chi-squared test, independent sample t-test, and pair sample t-test).

Results

The two groups were homogeneous in terms of demographic characteristics. Prior to the intervention, the two groups of warm compression and control did not have a significant difference in terms of mean fatigue and restless leg syndrome scores; however, after the intervention, a significant reduction was observed in the intervention group (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

According to the results of the current study, the use of warm compression is an effective intervention in alleviating fatigue and restless leg syndrome, so it is recommended to implement this intervention as a nonpharmacological strategy among CCNs. Clinical Trial Registration Number. IRCT20190723044316N1.