Objectives: Hereditary colorectal cancer (CRC) syndromes, including Lynch syndrome and the adenomatous and hamartomatous polyposis conditions, account for up to 10% of CRC cases. Advances in molecular diagnostics and tumor-based testing have improved identification, yet access to genetic testing and lifelong surveillance remains inconsistent worldwide. This narrative review examines the evolving role of nurses in identifying, managing, and supporting individuals and families affected by hereditary CRC.
Methods: A narrative synthesis of international literature, clinical guidelines, and examples of nurse-led models of care from Europe, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Australia, and other health systems was conducted. Articles were included if they addressed hereditary CRC epidemiology, genomic workforce issues, nursing roles, service delivery, or patient experience. A narrative approach was selected to integrate policy documents, and practice models not suited to systematic review methods.
Results: Five themes emerged: previvorship and living with inherited risk, genomics workforce capacity, evolving nursing roles, lifelong surveillance, and genomics education. Across health systems, nurses, particularly advanced nurse practitioners (ANPs), clinical nurse specialists (CNSs), and oncology nurses, play an increasingly significant role in hereditary CRC pathways. Their contributions include family history assessment, mainstreaming genetic testing, surveillance coordination, psychosocial support, and patient navigation. Nurse-led models improve access to testing, reduce diagnostic delays, and enhance surveillance adherence. However, roles remain inconsistent across jurisdictions, and challenges persist, including workforce shortages, variable genomics education, limited funding, and an uneven evidence base across the full spectrum of hereditary CRC syndromes.
Conclusions: Nurses act as coordinators across gastroenterology, surgery, oncology, genetics, and primary care- supporting equitable access and continuity throughout the hereditary CRC care trajectory. Despite their growing impact, nursing roles remain under-recognized in guidelines and under-evaluated in research. Systematic investment in genomics education, structured role development, and nurse-led models is required to deliver consistent, patient-centered hereditary CRC care.
Implications for nursing practice: Embedding genomics in nursing education, strengthening structured roles, and supporting nurse-led services within multidisciplinary frameworks are essential to improving equitable access and outcomes.
Objectives: Cancer nurses face heavy workloads and emotional strain, making missed nursing care (MNC)-the omission or delay of necessary care-a growing concern, particularly in oncology settings in which patient vulnerability is high. While professional quality of life (ProQOL), including compassion fatigue (CF), burnout (BO), and compassion satisfaction (CS), is known to affect care quality, its link to MNC in cancer units remains underexplored. This study aimed to examine the extent of missed nursing care in cancer clinics, as well as how CF, BO, and CS influence MNC.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 147 nurses working in inpatient and outpatient oncology units in Türkiye. Data were collected via an online survey using the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL IV) and the Missed Nursing Care Survey. Analyses included descriptive statistics, nonparametric tests, correlation, and multiple linear regression.
Results: Nurses reported moderate-to-high CF and BO, and low-to-moderate CS. The most frequently missed care practice was emotional support for patients and their families. Key reasons for MNC included staffing shortages and limited resources. No significant relationship was found between CF or BO and MNC. However, lower CS was significantly associated with higher MNC. Regression analysis showed that working in public hospitals and low perceived social support significantly predicted MNC.
Conclusions: Missed nursing care is influenced by low CS, inadequate support, and challenging work environments, particularly in public hospitals.
Implications for nursing practice: Enhancing compassion satisfaction and institutional support may reduce missed care and improve cancer care quality.

