Effect of nursing interventions for stress management

Abstract

The aim of this research is to identify the effect of nursing interventions for stress management. Materials and methods: Pre-experimental research, pre-test/post-test. The study was formed of participants from the university community, and sampling was done according to availability of the person, since the participant involved had to be willing to receive the intervention and participate in all stages of the investigation. The sample size included a total of 33 participants. The following was used: a) biosociodemographic and health data collection questionnaire, b) a stress reactivity index (SRI) proposed by Gonzales de Rivera in 1990, and c) objective data which were cortisol levels, blood pressure, cardiac and respiration rate. The intervention included nursing counseling for stress management, which consisted of seven sessions to manage stress in a healthy way; the intervention included respiration techniques, guided meditation, relaxation exercises, massage therapy, music therapy and aromatherapy. The results showed that the SRI decreased from 1.68 to 0.8824, also, a decrease was shown in the mean cortisol level after the nursing interventions from 12,78 (SD=5.29) µg/dL to 11,85 (SD=4.75) µg/dL. In conclusion: It has been found that nursing interventions and counseling have a beneficial effect on SRI and cortisol, and are effective for managing stress.