Online meditation programme linked to lower stress and fatigue in intensive care nurses
A six-week randomised controlled trial of 40 intensive care nurses found that a remote 20-minute meditation programme delivered three times weekly via WhatsApp was associated with significantly lower perceived stress and fatigue compared to control.
Critical care nurses face sustained occupational stress and fatigue due to demanding workloads, emotional burden, and the need for constant vigilance in complex clinical settings. A single-centre randomised controlled trial conducted in Türkiye between December 2021 and January 2022 enrolled 40 intensive care nurses (20 intervention, 20 control) who were similar in baseline stress and fatigue levels.
The intervention group participated in a six-week online meditation programme delivered via WhatsApp, consisting of 20-minute sessions three times per week. At post-test, the meditation group had significantly lower perceived stress scores (25.50 ± 4.22 versus 30.90 ± 7.50; p = 0.008) and substantially lower fatigue severity scores (3.06 ± 0.65 versus 3.99 ± 0.77; p < 0.001) than the control group. The effect sizes for fatigue reduction were notably larger than for stress. A key limitation is the small sample size from a single hospital, which restricts generalisability; larger multi-centre trials are needed to confirm whether these benefits sustain over longer periods or in different healthcare settings. Remotely delivered meditation may offer an accessible, low-cost adjunct to staff well-being in intensive care, particularly for nurses on rotating shifts.
The fatigue reduction (0.93-point drop on the fatigue severity scale) appeared larger than the stress reduction, suggesting meditation may target physical and emotional exhaustion more directly than cognitive stress perception. Notably, the intervention was brief—just 20 minutes, three times weekly—which is feasible for nurses managing rotating shifts and demanding schedules. WhatsApp delivery removed barriers of location and scheduling, making uptake and adherence practical in real-world intensive care environments. However, this was a single-centre trial with no longer-term follow-up; it remains unclear whether benefits persist after the programme ends or whether they hold in other hospitals or countries with different occupational cultures. The study did not measure whether nurses actually used the guided meditations or how consistently they engaged, so adherence rates and individual variability in response are unknown. Authors acknowledge that remote meditation should complement—not replace—structural organisational changes (staffing, workload management, peer support) that address root causes of burnout.
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- Effects of an Online Meditation Programme on Stress and Fatigue in Critical Care Nurses: A Randomised Controlled Trial. — Nursing in critical care (Read the original)