The Effectiveness of Mindfulness as an Intervention for Stress and Anxiety Management among Professional Nursing Students Preparing for the Competency Examination (UKOM)
Ady Irawan, Tatiana Siska Wardani, Agung Widiastuti, Anggie Pradana Putri
INDONESIAN NURSING JOURNAL OF EDUCATION AND CLINIC January 12, 2026 DOI: 10.24990/injec.v10i2.942 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Professional nursing students preparing for the National Competency Examination (UKOM) |
| Intervention | structured mindfulness training |
| Duration | Eight sessions; assessments before (T1) and after (T2) the intervention |
| Measures | Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (Zung-SRAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Key findings | Eight sessions of structured mindfulness training were associated with significantly improved mindfulness (mean difference –6.00, Cohen's d = 4.01), reduced anxiety (mean difference 2.89, d = 3.81), and reduced stress (mean difference 2.50, d = 1.87) among nursing students. The authors conclude that mindfulness training may be useful as a preventive psychosocial strategy in nursing education. |
Abstract
Introduction: Professional nursing students often experience heightened academic and psychological stress, especially in preparation for the National Competency Examination (UKOM). Mindfulness-based interventions have shown promise in managing stress and anxiety effectively. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a structured mindfulness intervention on mindfulness, anxiety, and stress levels among nursing students.Method: A quasi-experimental design was employed with intervention and control groups. Participants were professional nursing students selected through purposive sampling, meeting inclusion criteria such as enrollment in the professional program and willingness to participate. The intervention group underwent eight sessions of structured mindfulness training. Outcome measures included the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (Zung-SRAS), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), assessed before (T1) and after (T2) the intervention. Data were analyzed using paired sample t-tests, and effect sizes were calculated with Cohen’s d.Results: The mindfulness intervention significantly improved mindfulness levels (Mean Difference = –6.00; t = –17.026; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 4.01), and significantly reduced anxiety (Mean Difference = 2.89; t = 16.161; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 3.81) and stress levels (Mean Difference = 2.50; t = 7.919; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 1.87). All outcomes demonstrated statistically significant and clinically meaningful improvements.Conclusions: Mindfulness intervention was significantly effective in enhancing present-moment awareness and reducing anxiety and stress among nursing students preparing for the UKOM. These findings support integrating mindfulness training as a preventive psychosocial strategy within nursing education to promote students’ mental well-being.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cites 4
- Relationship between mindfulness, test anxiety, and academic performance among nursing students. Journal of Education and Health Promotion 2025
- The Effect of Mindfulness Meditation on Nursing Students’ Stress and Anxiety Levels Indonesian Journal of Global Health Research September 2, 2024
- Reflective mindfulness and emotional regulation training to enhance nursing students’ self-awareness, understanding, and regulation: a mixed method randomized controlled trial BMC Nursing April 30, 2025
- Challenge or Threat? The Effects of the Standard and a Second-Generation Mindfulness Intervention with Buddhist Practices on Cognitive Appraisals of Stress: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Experiment Performed in Switzerland. Journal of Religion and Health December 1, 2024