A EFFECT OF MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION INTERVENTION ON UNDERGRADUATE NURSING STUDENTS’ STRESS
Keywords:
Academic Stress, Clinical Rotation, Mindfulness, Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, Stress, Undergraduate Nursing StudentsAbstract
Introduction: Stress is a global phenomenon that significantly affects the academic performance and well-being of students. Nursing, being a demanding and high-stake profession, exposes students to considerable stress during their academic and clinical training. Effective interventions such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) can play a vital role in alleviating stress and enhancing coping abilities.
Objectives: The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of MBSR in reducing stress and improving well-being among undergraduate nursing students.
Methodology: Methodology: A quasi-experimental one-group pretest–posttest design was adopted. Universal sampling was used to recruit 80 second-year undergraduate nursing students from the College of Nursing, AFPGMI Rawalpindi, who had recently commenced clinical rotations. Stress was measured using the stress subscale of the DASS-42 (14 items) at baseline, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. The 8-week MBSR program, developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn, included mindfulness meditation, yoga, and body scan practices. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics.
Results: Findings demonstrated both immediate and sustained benefits of the intervention.
Conclusion: MBSR was found to be an effective strategy for stress reduction irrespective of demographic differences. Integration of structured mindfulness programs into nursing curricula may strengthen resilience, improve academic and clinical performance, and prepare students for future professional challenges.
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