Conectar
Doctoral research in nursing is central to advancing scientific knowledge, strengthening professional identity, and informing evidence-based practice, education, and health policy. Analyzing the thematic content of doctoral theses offers insight into research priorities and national variations in nursing scholarship. Yet, no systematic cross-country analysis has examined the thematic focus of such work.
To explore and describe the diversity and scope of doctoral nursing research themes across eight countries in the Sigma Europe Region, identifying key areas of scholarly focus and shared priorities.
A document-based qualitative study using reflexive thematic analysis, as outlined by Braun and Clarke, to examine patterns of meaning within thesis summaries.
The study included doctoral nursing thesis summaries defended between January 2020 and December 2023, sourced from national and institutional repositories in eight countries of the Sigma Europe Region. A total of 15 repositories (4 national, 11 institutional) were systematically searched, and additional summaries were obtained via direct contact with universities offering doctoral nursing programmes.
Data were collected between September 2024 and February 2025 using predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. In total, 431 eligible thesis summaries were analyzed following Braun and Clarke's six-phase framework, supported by MAXQDA software for data management and coding.
Thematic analysis identified three overarching domains: (1) foundations of nursing practice and care philosophy, (2) systemic and organizational dimensions of nursing, and (3) clinical innovation and public health impact. Ten interrelated themes emerged, including holistic and patient-centred care; emotional, psychological, and quality-of-life dimensions; communication in healthcare; workforce challenges; transforming nursing practice; maternal, neonatal and pediatric health; digital and virtual health innovations; public health and chronic disease management; and disease management, caregiving, and outcomes. Cross-cutting elements such as cultural sensitivity and resilience spanned multiple themes.
This cross-national synthesis demonstrates the breadth and depth of doctoral nursing research in the Sigma Europe Region. Findings highlight nursing's pivotal role in addressing healthcare needs through innovative, person-centred, and evidence-informed solutions, and underscore the value of international collaboration in shaping resilient, equitable, and future-ready healthcare systems.
Patients with advanced cancer often face numerous physical, psychological, and practical challenges from their disease and treatments, yet interventions addressing their specific unmet needs remain limited.
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a tailored psychoeducational intervention (PEI) on stress, anxiety, depression, coping, and fatigue among advanced cancer patients in Indonesia.
A randomized controlled trial was conducted from August 2022 to March 2023 in Indonesia.
A total of 151 advanced cancer patients from a referral hospital in Indonesia were randomized into intervention and control (conventional management) groups. Participants were assessed using validated questionnaires including the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Brief COPE at three time points: baseline (T0, before intervention), after first intervention (T1), and after second intervention (T2). The PEI was delivered face-to-face with telephone follow-up calls. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) analysis was used to evaluate the intervention's effectiveness.
The intervention was significantly associated with improved coping and reduced fatigue scores. Significant time effects were observed for depression, stress, coping, and fatigue scores. For anxiety, a significant impact was found at the second time point but not at the third, compared to the baseline. The difference-in-difference (DID) analysis revealed significant effects on coping and fatigue scores, while anxiety only showed significance at the second time point.
This study provides evidence for the potential effectiveness of PEI in improving coping strategies, relieving stress, anxiety, and depression, and reducing fatigue among advanced cancer patients in Indonesia.
The tailored PEI, including follow-up phone calls, can be independently implemented by nurses. Focusing on patients' unmet needs and spirituality, this intervention can help manage mental health issues and strengthen coping mechanisms, potentially leading to positive effects on physical conditions such as fatigue.
FreshRSS 