How nurses can promote resilience among adolescents receiving active cancer treatment: A scoping review

Explore knowledge on resilience-promoting interventions among adolescents receiving active cancer treatment. The question used to guide the research was: How can nurses promote resilience among adolescents receiving active cancer treatment?

Adolescence is a very turbulent stage of development (Young, 2014). A cancer diagnosis at this age contributes to emotional distress and reduces quality of life (Sodergren et al., 2017). However, some youth develop positive coping mechanisms that lead to increased resilience (Bellizzi et al., 2012; Sodergren et al., 2017). Because nurses often care for these patients over an extended period of time, they can play an important role in fostering this resilience.

Three databases (CINAHL, PubMed and PsycArticles) were consulted in February 2023, using research limiters "2013-2023" and "adolescents" (teenagers) both in French and in English. Potentially relevant sources were selected based on the guidelines identified by Pollock et al., (2021). Data were extracted, analyzed and presented using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews checklist (Tricco et al., 2018). The results were categorized, using deductive reasoning, as either protective factors or risk factors, in line with the Resilience in Illness Model (RIM; (Haase et al., 2014, 2017). Finally, potential interventions were identified where nurses can foster resilience among adolescents actively undergoing cancer treatment.

The method used returned 86 studies, 17 of which met the selection criteria. Of these, 10 were quantitative in nature, three were qualitative, three were theoretical (including literature reviews and meta-analyses) and one was an editorial. The majority (n = 15) were published in the United States. There have been no studies specifically examining the role of nurses in promoting resilience among adolescents undergoing active cancer treatment since 2013.

Based on the findings of this paper, considering that information has been published on the role nurses serve in caring for adolescents who have a chronic illness other than cancer, the conclusion is that pediatric oncology nurses can be key players in promoting resilience among patients at this stage of development. Studies focusing specifically on this topic would be useful in determining how to facilitate adaptation and foster resilience effectively among adolescents receiving active cancer treatment.