Vivid Dreams Among Patients After Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplants: A Scoping Review

A multidisciplinary team consisting of an oncology nurse, a nurse scientist and a clinical librarian looked into the phenomenon of vivid dreams or nightmares in patients who received bone marrow transplants. A preliminary search revealed a knowledge gap that indicated the need for a thorough literature review to identify what is known about the phenomenon of vivid dreams or nightmares among patients receiving stem cell or bone marrow transplants. The team formed a list of search terms related to stem cell and bone marrow treatment recovery and dreams and conducted searches in four bioscience databases. Following the Scoping - PRISMA template, two nurses on the project team independently screened the sources using a standardized protocol. The Scoping Review yielded no articles specifically addressing vivid dreams or nightmares among patients recovering from stem cell or bone marrow transplants, highlighting research implications. Several excluded studies suggested that sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality are common among cancer treatment recipients. The absence of sources discussing vivid dreams or nightmares underscores the need to understand sleep patterns in these populations.

Vivid Dreams Among Patients After Bone Marrow and Stem Cell Transplants: A Scoping Review Josiah Henry, BSN, RN, OCN Scott S. Christensen, PhD, MBA, APRN, ACNP-BC Shawn Steidinger, MLS, AHIP Key Findings: The scoping review yielded no articles specifically describing vivid dreams or nightmares among patients recovering from stem cell or bone marrow transplants, highlighting a significant gap in the literature. Several excluded studies indicated that sleep disturbances and poor sleep quality are common among cancer treatment recipients, suggesting the need for research into the role of vivid dreams and nightmares in these sleep disruptions. Background • • • Local patients have reported experiencing vivid dreams and nightmares after bone marrow transplants. A preliminary literature review found no sources about this phenomenon specific to this population. To inform research, it is essential to identify existing relevant literature. Aim • Identify what is already known about vivid dreams or nightmares among patients receiving stem cell or bone marrow transplants by conducting a Scoping Review, involving a team composed of an HCI Nurse, a UHealth Nurse Scientist, and a Health Sciences Librarian Results • o Of 1199 identified sources, none met the eligibility criteria, resulting in an empty review. • Source Screening Process: • Created/used a priori protocol. • Evaluated records for eligibility. • Independent screening by two nurses; conflicts resolved in consensus *EBP 5 Steps: Ask – Acquire – Appraise – Apply – Assess Observations from Excluded Sources: o Several excluded studies shared that poor sleep quality and sleep disturbances occur commonly after cancer treatment, although they did not discuss specifically dreams. o Studies often used the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), which included the field “bad dreams.” Methods: Evidence-Based Practice Framework*: • ASK: Developed PICO formatted clinical question and search terms. • ACQUIRE: Librarian-mediated search of Embase, PubMed, and PsychINFO databases resulting in 1199 candidate records. Screening Results: Discussion / Opportunities • • • The absence of sources discussing vivid dreams or nightmares underscores the need to understand their role in sleep disturbances among these populations. Expanding the literature search population to include patient reports of dreams after any cancer treatment regimen could be beneficial. For future research, quantitative instruments like the PSQI could measure sleep quality, while qualitative focus group methods could provide more insights into sleep and dream characteristics.