Nurses' Experiences of End-of-Life Care in East Asia: A Scoping Review

End-of-life care enhances quality of life and alleviates suffering in patients with life-limiting illnesses, and its practice is shaped by cultural contexts. With East Asia comprising more than one-fifth of the global population, research in this region is essential. This scoping review explored nurses' experiences of providing end-of-life care in East Asia between 2015 and 2024. A total of 49 studies published in English or Chinese were selected from seven electronic databases, based on criteria involving direct care by registered nurses, and the review followed standard scoping methodology. Three themes were identified-requirements, transformation, and culture-encompassing seven categories: readiness, patient-centered, challenges, emotion, coping, transformation, and culture. A conceptual map was developed to visually present the findings. This review highlights the complexity of end-of-life care in East Asia and offers key insights into the real-world challenges and needs of nurses. Collectively, our results show that end-of-life care requires enhanced clinical readiness, recognition of nurses' emotional and professional transformation, and sensitivity to cultural and family-centered values. These findings highlight priorities for advancing training, emotional support, and culturally aligned care strategies in East Asia.