Effect of Music Relaxation Training Combined with Hierarchical Nursing Management on Vomiting Symptoms and Psychological Resilience in Patients with Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effects of music relaxation training combined with hierarchical nursing management on vomiting symptoms and psychological resilience in patients with chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV).

METHODS

In this retrospective study, 142 patients with CINV treated between June 2023 and January 2025 were stratified into three groups: the control group ( n  = 46, routine multidisciplinary care), the observation group 1 ( n  = 47, additional hierarchical nursing) and the observation group 2 ( n  = 49, hierarchical nursing plus music relaxation training). All care continued over three chemotherapy cycles. Outcomes were assessed by using the Index of Nausea, Vomiting and Retching (INVR), Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), State Anxiety Inventory (S-AI), Cancer Fatigue Scale (CFS), Functional Living Index-Emesis (FLIE) and compared pre- and post-intervention. Data were analysed using the chi-squared test, t -test and one-way analysis of variance.

RESULTS

After care, observation groups 1 and 2 showed superior outcomes to the control group across all measures. Specifically, INVR subscale scores (nausea, vomiting and retching) were significantly lower in the observation groups than in the control group, with the observation group 2 demonstrating further reductions compared with the observation group 1 (e.g., nausea: 2.81 vs. 3.87; P < 0.05). All CD-RISC dimension scores were higher in the observation groups than in the control groups and again were highest in the observation group 2 (e.g., optimism: 11.42 vs. 9.64; P < 0.05). Similarly, S-AI and CFS scores were lower in the observation groups, with the observation group 2 showing the lowest scores amongst all groups (S-AI: 29.46 vs. 34.25; CFS: 27.97 vs. 31.24; P < 0.05). Finally, FLIE nausea and vomiting subscale scores were higher in the observation groups than in the control group, with the observation group 2 scoring highest amongst groups (nausea: 56.64 vs. 53.46; vomiting: 53.48 vs. 51.37; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Integrated music relaxation training and hierarchical nursing may alleviate CINV symptoms, enhance psychological resilience, reduce anxiety and fatigue and improve quality of life.