The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Nursing Students' Stress and Anxiety Levels.
Debra S Heinrich, Kathleen A O'Connell
Nursing Education Perspectives DOI: 10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000001159 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 145 |
| Population | Nursing students |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation recordings |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Citations | 29 |
| Key findings | Nursing students who received mindfulness meditation recordings experienced significantly lower stress and anxiety levels than those who received nursing information recordings. |
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a virtual mindfulness meditation intervention on stress and anxiety levels of 145 nursing students. Because of the twin demands of classroom and clinical workloads, nursing students experience greater amounts of stress and anxiety than the average college student. Mindfulness meditation is a promising method to alleviate stress and anxiety. A pretest-posttest randomized controlled design was used. Participants received either weekly mindfulness meditation recordings or recordings on nursing information. Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale. A two-way mixed analysis of variance and follow-up simple main effects tests revealed that participants in the experimental group, who received meditation recordings, experienced significantly lower levels of stress and anxiety on posttest surveys than the control group. Mindfulness meditation can reduce stress and anxiety levels in nursing students. This can improve students' overall mental and physical well-being.
Comparable studies
Other randomized controlled trials on anxiety, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cited by 12
- Effects of a Course-Based Yoga Intervention on Perceived Stress and Mindfulness Among Nursing Students: A Quasi-Experimental Mixed-Methods Study Healthcare September 4, 2026
- Effects of Mindfulness Therapy on Stress and Mindfulness Levels in Nursing Students: A Network Meta‐Analysis International Journal of Nursing Practice February 1, 2026
- A Comparative Analysis on Mindfulness Interventions Between Certified Registered Nurse Anesthesia and Masters' Entry Advanced Generalist Nursing Programs. Journal of Holistic Nursing July 16, 2025
- A Quasi Experimental Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Mindfulness Meditation on The Level of Stress Among Working Women (20 -58 Years) In Selected Urban Area of Nerchowk District Mandi (H.P.) 2025-2026 International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology October 1, 2026
- Brief meditation and acute stress in undergraduate nursing students: a pre-post study of an embedded wellness intervention. Journal of American College Health September 24, 2026
and 7 more in the library
Cites 7
- A Mindfulness Practice for Communication Sciences and Disorders Undergraduate and Speech-Language Pathology Graduate Students: Effects on Stress, Self-Compassion, and Perfectionism American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology August 4, 2017
- App‐based mindfulness meditation reduces perceived stress and improves self‐regulation in working university students: A randomised controlled trial Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being December 27, 2021
- Mindfulness for stress and anxiety management in nursing students in a clinical simulation: A quasi-experimental study. Nurse Education in Practice December 1, 2022
- Effects of guided mindfulness meditation on anxiety and stress in a pre-healthcare college student population: a pilot study Journal of American College Health August 1, 2020
- Changes in depression and anxiety through mindfulness group therapy in Japan: the role of mindfulness and self-compassion as possible mediators BioPsychoSocial Medicine February 18, 2019
and 2 more in the library