Cultivating Calm: Enhancing Resilience in Nursing Students Through Guided Meditation.
Nicole A Gonzaga Gomez, Marva H Louisville, Christopher M Lay, Karina A Gattamorta, Cynthia L Foronda
Holistic Nursing Practice February 2, 2026 DOI: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000781 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-posttest design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 39 |
| Population | Doctor of Nursing Practice students |
| Intervention | Guided meditation |
| Duration | 40-minute intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Guided meditation Nursing education Resilience Self-care Stress reduction |
| Key points | A 40-minute guided meditation session significantly reduced stress and increased relaxation among doctoral nursing students. |
Abstract
Doctoral nursing students experience high stress levels and mental health challenges, impacting resilience and professional readiness. Teaching wellness practices is essential to support student well-being and retention. High rates of stress and attrition among new nurses highlight the need for wellness-focused education, yet traditional teaching methods may not effectively promote self-care and stress reduction. Guided by Kolb's Experiential Learning Theory and the American Association of Colleges of Nursing Essentials Domain 10, this practice improvement project involved evaluation of a 40-minute guided meditation for Doctor of Nursing Practice students. The intervention included breath work, emotional grounding, and cognitive recentering. Using a pre-posttest design, 39 participants reported significantly reduced stress ( P < .001) and increased relaxation ( P < .001). Nearly all endorsed benefits to personal well-being and recommended future integration. Findings suggest experiential meditation fostered resilience and self-care, offering nurse educators a practical strategy to enhance student wellness, professional development, and workforce sustainability.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |