[A systematic review of acupressure for the application on nursing practice]

The purpose of this study was to search articles on acupressure treatment that used clinical control trials (CCT) or randomize control trials (RCT) to review the quality of conducted research quality and the caring effects of acupressure. Literature published in 6 databases, including MEDLINE, was searched. A total of 71 relevant articles were identified and included in the current study. Results showed: (1) Nursing staff conducted the majority of acupressure interventions. Nurses also had the most opportunities to provide acupressure care; (2) 69 articles (97.2%) found acupressure to deliver positive effects; (3) Less than half of the articles (34) remained following our elimination of those that presented substandard researching quality, unspecific caring scope, or a score of only 1 using Jadad Score evaluation. Of these 34, acupressure techniques were most often applied to 8 symptoms / objects; (4) Factors that should be considered in administering acupressure include methods of treatment, application strength, and application period. Study results should help clinical nursing staff and student nurses learn acupressure and develop acupressure standard operating procedures (SOPs). Results further provide direction and design guidance for future research.