Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p>Purpose Prehabilitation has emerged as a promising strategy to optimize outcomes in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery. However, evidence regarding nurse-led multimodal programs remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a nurse-led prehabilitation program on self-care capacity, quality of life (QoL), anxiety, and postoperative outcomes in patients with colon cancer. Methods An observational analytical mixed study with a longitudinal pre–post design was conducted in patients scheduled for colorectal cancer surgery at Hospital Universitario General de Castellón (Spain). Participants completed a nurse-led multimodal prehabilitation program including nutritional screening, psychological support, and supervised exercise training. Self-care capacity (ASA Scale), QoL (EORTC QLQ-C30), and anxiety (STAI-S) were assessed at baseline and before surgery. Postoperative complications and length of stay were compared with an age- and sex-matched historical cohort. Results Thirty patients completed the intervention. Self-care was increase although differences were not statistically significant. Anxiety significantly decreased and significant improvements were observed in fatigue. Exploratory sex-based analyses revealed greater QoL and fatigue improvements in women, while men showed greater reductions in anxiety, insomnia, and dyspnoea. The intervention group presented fewer postoperative complications and shorter hospital stay than controls, although these differences were not statistically significant. Conclusions A nurse-led multimodal prehabilitation program appears feasible and safe for patients with colorectal cancer, providing benefits in anxiety and symptom-related outcomes while promoting self-care and coordinated perioperative support. Larger controlled studies are warranted to confirm its impact on postoperative outcomes and healthcare resource optimization.</p>