The Effects of Meditation in Lowering Blood Pressure and Reducing Symptoms of Stress in Baccalaureate Nursing Students

Hypertension and stress are two conditions that have the capability to cause extensive and long-term damage to both mental and physical health. Baccalaureate nursing students report high levels of stress while in the process of obtaining a degree. This population is at risk for consistently high stress levels; therefore, they are also at risk for physiologic complications of stress such as hypertension. In this study, all participants were asked to complete two short surveys: one assessed their stress, and one survey assessed their perceptions of meditation. The blood pressure (BP) of all participants was measured as well. Once the surveys and BP measurements were done, the participant group was split into two. One-half of the participants sat quietly in a room while the other half of the participants completed a meditation session. At the completion of the study, all participants reconvened to complete the post-test surveys and receive another set of blood pressure readings. The results of this study indicated that mindfulness meditation can be used to decrease both blood pressure levels and symptoms of stress in baccalaureate nursing students at the University of Southern Mississippi College of Nursing (USM CON). When compared to the control group, those that participated in meditation experienced an overall greater decrease in both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) as well as perceived stress. Further research is needed to determine the greater implications of mindfulness meditation in these treatment modalities; however, the results are promising