Restrictions on Visitation and Dialogue Support by Nurses between Terminally Ill Patients with Cancer and Their Families in the Post-COVID-19 Era in Japan

Purpose: This study aimed to clarify the actual state of dialogue support by nurses between terminally ill patients with cancer and their families in the face of visitation restrictions imposed in the post-COVID-19 era in Japan. Methods: The participants were 607 nurses with at least 2 years of experience working at 33 hospitals with more than 100 beds and currently involved in the care of terminally ill patients with cancer. Data were collected via an anonymous online questionnaire from February to March 2025. The questionnaire included items on basic attributes, visitation restrictions, online dialogue support, and a revised self-assessment scale for nurses about enhancing dialogue support between terminally ill cancer patients and their families. Statistical analyses, including unpaired t-tests, were conducted to calculate descriptive statistics. Results: The final analysis included 293 respondents (valid response rate: 48.3%), 90.4% of whom indicated that there were visiting restrictions in their hospital ward. No significant relationship was found between the presence or absence of visitation restrictions and the frequency of dialogue support practices. Those with experience providing dialogue support online using video calls or Zoom (36.5%) had significantly higher total scores on the dialogue support self-assessment scale (p Conclusion: Since many facilities continue to restrict visits, it is important to provide dialogue support that takes into consideration the process before and after visits. Considering each patient’s overall condition and the difficulty of having dialogue via a screen, online dialogue support that incorporates consideration for families serves as a catalyst for raising nurses’ awareness of improving the quality of dialogue support and contributes to daily nursing practice.