Humanization of nursing care: a systematic review

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Patient Care

Background:

• Healthcare automation and standardization have led to dehumanized care.
• This has resulted in decreased patient trust and increased professional stress and burnout.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify actions for humanizing nursing care.
• To describe barriers and facilitating strategies for implementing humanized care.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review following PRISMA guidelines.
• Searched databases (WOS, SCOPUS, CINAHL, PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane) for studies from 2018-2022.
• Included 27 studies after screening 744 articles; assessed quality using STROBE, CASPe, MMAT.

Main Results:

• Key barriers include lack of nurse training, poor working conditions, and institutional unwillingness.
• Facilitating strategies involve solving implementation issues, enhancing communication, and family involvement.
• Interventions often focus on the physical environment, particularly in obstetrics and pediatrics.

Conclusions:

• Addressing training, working conditions, and institutional support is crucial for humanized nursing care.
• Communication and family presence are key facilitators.
• Humanization efforts need broader institutional commitment beyond specific service interventions.