Effectiveness of a narrative nursing intervention on reproductive concerns in women of childbearing age undergoing cervical cancer surgery: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: This study aims to explore the intervention effects of narrative nursing on the reproductive concerns of cervical cancer patients of childbearing age undergoing surgical treatment. Methods: Patients undergoing cervical cancer surgery with moderate to severe levels of reproductive concerns, treated between January and December 2023 at a tertiary Grade-A oncology hospital in China, were selected as the research subjects. Patients were randomized into an intervention group and a control group, each consisting of 33 patients. The control group received standard nursing care, while the intervention group received a narrative nursing intervention in addition to standard care. The changes in the levels of reproductive concerns, post-traumatic growth, and quality of life scores before and after the intervention were compared between the two groups. Results: After the intervention, the reproductive concerns scores of the cervical cancer patients in the intervention group (32.53 +/- 4.77) were significantly lower than those in the control group (59.29 +/- 3.24), with a statistically significant difference (t = 26.143, p < 0.001). The post-traumatic growth scores in the intervention group (86.78 +/- 3.52) were significantly higher than those in the control group (68.06 +/- 6.24), with a statistically significant difference (t = -14.595, p < 0.001). The quality of life scores in the intervention group (149.00 [IQR = 8.75]) were significantly higher than those in the control group (129.00 [IQR = 13.00]), with a statistically significant difference (z = -5.799, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Narrative nursing can effectively alleviate reproductive concerns in cervical cancer patients undergoing surgical treatment, promote positive psychological changes post-trauma, and improve patients' quality of life.