Effectiveness of 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 a certain province of China, were selected as the research subjects. Using Excel for randomization, the patients were divided 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 narrative nursing interventions on top of the 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.