Integrated palliative nursing interventions for older adults with cancer: Effects on quality of life, psychological outcomes, and symptom burden

Abstract

Objectives Older adults with cancer frequently experience high symptom burden, psychological distress, and reduced quality of life. Integrating palliative nursing interventions into routine oncology care has the potential to improve these outcomes, yet evidence examining their measurable effects remains limited. This study aimed to examine the effects of integrated palliative nursing interventions on quality of life, psychological outcomes, and symptom burden among older adults with cancer. Methods A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test–post-test design was conducted at King Khaled Hospital, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia, including 80 older adults (≥60 years) with confirmed cancer diagnosis. Participants received a structured 6-week integrated palliative nursing intervention comprising 12 sessions (2 sessions/week) addressing physical, psychological, social, functional, and spiritual needs. Outcome measures included the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General (FACT-G) for quality of life, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) Distress Thermometer for psychological outcomes, and the Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS-r) for symptom burden. Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted, and data were analyzed using paired t-tests, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression. Results All 80 participants completed the study, and no attrition was observed during the 6-week intervention period. Post-intervention, participants demonstrated significant improvements in overall quality of life (FACT-G total: 39.65 ± 5.51 → 66.41 ± 6.25, p