Effect of continuous nursing based on the Omaha System on cancer-related fatigue in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND As one of the important treatments for lung cancer, chemotherapy not only brings hope for the survival of patients, but also influences their body and mind. Most patients have different degrees of fatigue during chemotherapy and after chemotherapy, and the occurrence and aggravation of fatigue do not necessarily occur during hospitalization, there is a lag, mostly occurs in the interval after chemotherapy, therefore, continuous nursing care is very important for patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy. The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of continuous nursing, based on Omaha System theory, on cancer-related fatigue in patients with lung cancer receiving chemotherapy. METHODS From April 2018 to May 2019, a total of 102 inpatients with lung cancer at a cancer hospital in Hangzhou, China were selected for chemotherapy. A total of 7patients were lost to follow-up during the intervention, leaving 46 and 49 patients randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups, respectively. Participants in the control group received routine nursing after discharge, while those in the experimental group were nursed according to the Omaha System model. RESULTS After 4 cycles of chemotherapy, scores for total, physical, cognitive, and emotional fatigue were significantly lower in the intervention group than those in the control group (P<0.05). Repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that there were significant differences in the time-dependent (<0.001) and intervention-dependent (P<0.001) effects on fatigue score, as well as a significant interaction between time and intervention (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Continuous nursing based on Omaha System theory can ameliorate cancer fatigue in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy.