The impact of brief mindfulness meditation on anxiety, cognitive load, and teamwork in emergency simulation training: A randomized controlled trial.
Kamal Takhdat, Houssam Rebahi, Deborah M Rooney, Mohamed Ait Babram, Abdeslam Benali, Saad Touzani, Saloua Lamtali, Ahmed Rhassane El Adib
Nurse Education Today 2024 DOI: 10.1016/j.nedt.2023.106005 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot randomized controlled study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 70 |
| Population | Undergraduate health professions students (medical and nursing) |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation training program (MMTP) |
| Duration | 4-week intervention, with simulation assessments at one month and six months follow-up |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Cognitive load Simulation training Teamwork |
| Citations | 17 |
| Key points | Brief pre-briefing mindfulness meditation practice mitigates state-anxiety and promotes cognitive load and teamwork during emergency simulation training. |
Abstract
Emergency simulation training may impose a heavy psychological burden on health professions students (HPS), evoking anxiety, and overwhelming their cognitive load. Mindfulness may have a positive impact on HPS' anxiety, cognitive load, and teamwork during simulation training. The effects of integration of a brief pre-briefing mindfulness meditation (MM) practice into emergency simulation training, on anxiety, cognitive load, and teamwork remain understudied. From November 2021 to June 2022, 70 undergraduate HPS participated in this pilot randomized controlled study. Participants were randomly assigned to the experimental group (EG, n = 24) that completed a brief in-person mindfulness meditation training program (MMTP) (2 h/week during 4 weeks) or a control group (CG, n = 46). Each group was comprised of teams (2 medical students and 1-2 nursing students). Measures of anxiety, mindfulness, cognitive load, and teamwork were collected at 4-time points: baseline, after the completion of the brief MMTP (for the EG only), at the first simulation assessment within one month later, and the second (6-month follow-up) simulation assessment. Student's t and Wilcoxon Mann-Whiney tests were used to compare the groups' measures and changes over time. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was conducted to assess anxiety and mindfulness scores' changes over time among EG participants. 52 participants completed all time-point assessments. EG participants recorded better state-anxiety, cognitive load, and teamwork scores than the CG participants in both simulation assessments. However, no statistically significant differences were recorded between the EG and the CG in trait-anxiety and mindfulness at the 6-month follow-up assessment. Brief pre-briefing MM practice mitigates HPS' state-anxiety, and promotes cognitive load, and teamwork during emergency simulation training. Simulation instructors should consider MM practice in the emergency healthcare simulation instructional design.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 6
- Effects of mindfulness-based interventions on cognitive impairment in patients with cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International journal of clinical and health psychology : IJCHP 2025
- Mindfulness-Based Programmes for Work Performance: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials. Stress and Health December 1, 2025
- Impact of mindfulness-based interventions on stress, anxiety and depression among nursing students: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nurse Education in Practice May 1, 2026
- Exploring the Impact of Sensory Conflict on State Mindfulness in VR Meditation Training International Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems April 13, 2026
- Brief Mindfulness Meditation Promotes Prosocial Driving Behaviour: Evidence From Virtual Reality. International journal of psychology : Journal international de psychologie December 1, 2025
and 1 more in the library
Cites 10
- The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2003
- Using Self-Report Assessment Methods to Explore Facets of Mindfulness Assessment January 27, 2006
- The toronto mindfulness scale: Development and validation Journal of Clinical Psychology 2006
- Frontal theta activity and white matter plasticity following mindfulness meditation Current Opinion in Psychology April 18, 2019
- Assessment of mindfulness by self-report. Current Opinion in Psychology November 10, 2018
and 5 more in the library