Analyzing the effect of theoretical mindfulness-nursing-education-programme on students' stress, resilience, and heart rate variability: a quasi-experimental study.

A newly developed mindfulness-based nursing education programme (MINDNUEDU) was associated with reduced perceived stress and increased resilience among nursing students in Taiwan. In a quasi-experimental design, 70 students were assigned to an eight-week mindfulness intervention or a standard curriculum. After adjusting for baseline differences, the mindfulness group showed significantly greater improvements in stress and resilience compared to controls. The increase in resilience exceeded the minimal clinically important difference. Higher attendance was linked to larger reductions in stress and gains in resilience. Within the intervention group, acute post-session increases in parasympathetic-related heart rate variability were observed. The findings support integrating structured mindfulness training into nursing education, though long-term effects require further study.

Study at a glance

Abstract

Stress adversely affects nursing students' well-being and clinical communication. This study examined the effects of a newly developed mindfulness-based nursing education programme (MINDNUEDU) on perceived stress, resilience, and heart rate variability (HRV) among nursing students. A quasi-experimental, two-arm pre-post design was conducted at a university in Taiwan. Seventy nursing students were allocated to either an eight-week mindfulness intervention group (n = 36) or a standard curriculum control group (n = 34) based on academic scheduling constraints. Primary outcomes were perceived stress, measured using the Perceived Stress Scale, and resilience, measured using the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Secondary outcomes included HRV indices (SDNN, RMSSD, and HF power), assessed within the intervention group. Adjusted between-group differences over time were analyzed using Generalized Estimating Equations, controlling for baseline values and year of study. After adjustment for baseline differences, significant Group × Time interactions were observed for perceived stress (p = .004) and resilience (p < .001), indicating greater improvements in the intervention group compared with controls. The mean increase in resilience exceeded the minimal clinically important difference. A significant dose-response relationship was also identified, with higher attendance linearly associated with greater reductions in stress (p = .003) and greater gains in resilience (p = .004). Within the intervention group, session-level analyses demonstrated acute post-session increases in parasympathetic-related HRV indices across several weeks. Participation in the MINDNUEDU programme was associated with reduced perceived stress and increased resilience among nursing students. While physiological findings reflected short-term autonomic changes during sessions rather than confirmed long-term trait adaptation, the results support the feasibility of integrating structured mindfulness training into nursing education. Randomized controlled trials with longitudinal follow-up are needed to confirm sustainability and causal effects.