Humanistic nursing care and quality of life in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a prospective observational study

PURPOSES: To study the relationship between nursing humanistic care and quality of life in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). METHODS: A total of 382 NPC patients of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center were included from October 1, 2018, to July 30, 2019. The Nursing Humanistic Care Experience Scale-Noninfectious Chronic Disease Patients version (NHCES-NCDP) and quality of life questionnaire of the European Organisation for the Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30 (V3.0)、QLQ-H&N35 (V1.0) were used to assess the relationship between the score of nursing humanistic care and quality of life. Paired sample T-test, Pearson correlation test and linear regression were used to analyse the data on the relationship between nursing humanistic care and the quality of NPC patients. RESULTS: The score of humanistic care post-treatment in NPC patients was higher than that of pre-treatment (101.4 ± 16.6 vs. 99.3 ± 16.8); The scales of cognitive functioning, social functioning, financial difficulties, nausea and vomiting among quality of life were significantly associated with the scores of Nursing Humanistic Care before treatment. Emotional functioning, Cognitive functioning, Social functioning, Fatigue, Nausea and vomiting, Insomnia, Appetite loss, Financial difficulties, and pain among quality of life were significantly associated with Nursing Humanistic Care after treatment. Still, there was no correlation among other items. CONCLUSION: The quality of life score was reduced after chemo-radiotherapy in NPC patients, and it was significantly associated with humanistic nursing care. The quality of life of NPC patients may be improved by elevating the nursing humanistic care level. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.