Nursing Support for Nonpharmacological Interventions to Prevent Delirium in Patients with Cancer: A Scoping Review

The importance of nonpharmacological interventions in preventing delirium is well documented in several guidelines; however, research specifically detailing nursing support in oncology remains sparse. This scoping review aimed to identify nursing support for nonpharmacological interventions to prevent delirium in patients with cancer.

Utilizing Arksey and O'Malley's six-stage scoping review framework and adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-ScR checklist, we systematically searched PubMed, CINAHL, CENTRAL, and Ichushi-Web databases from their inception to January 31, 2022, with an update on August 31, 2023. Additional relevant studies were identified through manual searches of key journals and article lists. Studies that reported on patients with cancer aged ≥18 years, interventions for preventing delirium, nursing support, and quantitative data showing outcomes were included.

A total of 794 articles were screened, and 10 met the inclusion criteria. Among these, six were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and four were non-RCTs. The thematic analysis categorized nursing support into four components: (1) multicomponent interventions, (2) bright light therapy, (3) specialist team approaches, and (4) family support. Most interventions were applied during surgical procedures and were effective in preventing postoperative delirium, especially multicomponent interventions and bright light therapy.

This review highlights that nursing support for delirium prevention in patients with cancer encompasses multicomponent interventions, bright light therapy, specialist team approaches, and family support. Future research should examine the effectiveness of this nursing support using systematic reviews and meta-analyses and explore the feasibility of implementing it in nursing practice.