Reducing nurses' stress: A randomized controlled trial of a web-based stress management program for nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Occupational Health
• Digital Health Interventions

Background:

• Nursing is a high-stress profession leading to burnout, attrition, and shortages.
• In-person stress interventions face barriers due to nurses' demanding schedules and workloads.
• Web-based interventions offer a flexible and accessible solution for managing nursing stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of the web-based BREATHE: Stress Management for Nurses program.
• To assess the impact of a digital intervention on nurses' perceived stress levels.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial involving 104 nurses across six hospitals.
• Primary outcome: Perceived nursing-related stress measured by the Nursing Stress Scale.
• Secondary outcomes: Distress symptoms, coping mechanisms, job satisfaction, and substance use.

Main Results:

• Participants in the web-based program showed significantly greater reductions in overall nursing stress and most subscales compared to the control group.
• No other significant differences were observed between groups.
• Nurses with more extensive experience reported greater benefits from the intervention.

Conclusions:

• Web-based stress management programs show significant promise for equipping nurses with tools to manage occupational stress.
• Digital interventions can effectively mitigate stress in the nursing profession.
• Accessible, flexible solutions are crucial for supporting nurse well-being and retention.