Effectiveness and content components of nursing counselling interventions on self‐ and symptom management of patients in oncology rehabilitation—A systematic review

AIM: To synthesize the evidence on the effectiveness and content components of nurse‐led counselling interventions on the self‐and symptom management of patients in oncology rehabilitation. DESIGN: A systematic review METHODS: The electronic databases MEDLINE, CINAHL, Cochrane Library and Grey Literature were searched for randomized controlled trials or quasi‐experimental trials. Following data extraction, a quality assessment was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist and the Cochrane risk‐of‐bias tool. The findings were synthesized in narrative and tabular formats. RESULTS: Seven studies were included in the analysis. Two RCTs measured a statistically significant increase in self‐efficacy compared to the control group, and one quasi‐experimental study showed a statistically significant increase compared to the pre‐intervention period. Symptom anxiety was statistically significantly reduced in two RCTs and one quasi‐experimental trial. Self‐management similarities in the components of the interventions were seen as identifying patients' concerns, setting goals, developing action plans and evaluating the goals and giving patient‐tailored information.