Background:
Nursing students report increasing levels of stress and anxiety related to academic performance. Mindfulness programs have been found to reduce stress, yet such programs have been identified as a time-burden for students. This study evaluated the integration of a brief preexamination mindfulness reflective intervention for nursing students. Perceived stress, anxiety, resilience, and acceptability were evaluated.
Method:
A mixed-methods experimental design with random assignment was used. Forty-nine nursing students were randomized to either an intervention group (
N
= 25) who participated in the brief preexamination mindfulness intervention or a control group (
N
= 24) who took their examinations without any intervention. Self-report tools measured stress, resilience, and mindfulness. Qualitative responses were collected.
Results:
Outcomes revealed decreased feelings of helplessness and anxiety in the intervention group. Although students had positive views of mindfulness, barriers were indicated.
Conclusion:
Brief preexamination mindfulness interventions provide students with anxiety-reducing options.
[
J Nurs Educ
. 2021;60(11):625–628.]
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.