Nursing Anxiety Self-Evaluation and Resiliency Methods

Abstract Introduction: Nurses are stressed due to the demands of their job. This study aims to determine whether MICU nurses at a large Midwestern hospital would have reduced stress and anxiety after a 30-day meditation and exercise intervention. Design and Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-post pilot study design was adopted. The convenience sample consisted of eight Medicine Intensive Care Unit (MICU) nurses in a large Midwestern urban tertiary medical center. Data collected included demographics, pre- post-Beck Anxiety Inventory Scale (BAIS), pre- and post-Single Item Stress Scale (SISS), and weekly diaries on exercise and meditation. Results: The pre- post-SISS showed statistical significance in reducing work stress (t(7)=2.76, p=0.03). The pre-post-intervention BAIS did not show statistical significance in the reduction of nurses’ anxiety after a 30-day intervention. Discussion: Stress and anxiety are separate phenomena. The MICU nurses had low levels of anxiety in both the pre-and post-intervention BAIS. However, a reduction in work related stress levels was seen following a four-week intervention of regular exercise and meditation