Effectiveness of Nurse‐Led Interventions in Older Adults With Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia: A Systematic Review and Meta‐Analysis

BACKGROUND: The rising prevalence of cognitive impairment has made it a critical public health priority. Nurses are central to chronic disease management, yet the efficacy of the interventions in older adults with cognitive disorders remains uncertain. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of nurse-led interventions in older adults with cognitive disorders. METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted across seven electronic databases from their inception to August 2025. This meta-analysis focused on nurse-led interventions. The primary outcome was cognitive function, and secondary outcomes included depressive symptoms and quality of life. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, we employed a random effects model for the meta-analysis. RESULTS: The results indicated that nurse-led interventions significantly improved cognition (SMD = 0.64; 95% CI, 0.39-0.88; p < 0.05), substantially alleviated depressive symptoms (SMD = -0.32; 95% CI, -0.53-0.11; p < 0.05) and enhanced quality of life (QoL) (SMD = 0.40; 95% CI, 0.17-0.64; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that nurse-led interventions are highly beneficial for elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. In future research, it is necessary to comprehensively consider the roles that nurses undertake. They should play an active role in the recovery from chronic diseases. These findings provide an important basis for policymakers and clinicians. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO Registration number: CRD42024619016.