Evaluating the Effect of Nursing Interventions on Restless Leg Syndrome among Staff Nurses

Sleep issues are among the most often reported concerns and shift work is linked to poor health. In particular, employment patterns that require working at night are linked to sleep issues. Problems with sleep initiation and maintenance resulted in shorter sleep durations and excessive drowsiness at work. Approximately 95% of night shift workers report having trouble sleeping compared to 40% of day workers. Restless legs syndrome is a frequent sleep-related movement disorder that is characterized by unpleasant leg sensations, such as crawling, pulling, and creeping, as well as a need to move the legs. When walking, stroking, and massaging the legs, the discomfort is at least temporarily alleviated.

The quantitative research approach was employed. One group preexperimental pretest-posttest study design was employed. Selected hospitals' critical care units served as the study's sites. Restless leg syndrome nursing interventions are the independent factors. Symptoms of restless leg syndrome were the dependent variable employed in this investigation. The population that was used consists of staff nurses who work in critical care units for 3 years. The study sample was made up of staff nurses who work in critical care units. A sample size was employed. Sixty critical care unit staff nurses made up the study's sample size.

The aim was to control restless leg syndrome among staff nurses. The objectives of the study were to determine the effect of nursing interventions on restless leg syndrome.

The findings indicate that the mean score of effect of nursing interventions in the pretest was 11.05 with a standard deviation of 2.02 or 55.25% of the mean percentage, while the mean score in the posttest-1 was 7.95 with a standard deviation of 2.03, or 39.75% of the mean percentage. With a standard deviation of 1.42 and a mean score of 5.27, the posttest-2 results indicate a mean percentage of 26.33%. The F value of 147.41 and P = 0.0001 indicate a substantial change in scores, indicating a marked improvement between the pretest, posttest-1, and posttest-2 outcomes. Relationships among the pretest knowledge level, demographic variables and the Chi-square P values for the different types of intensive care units were 0.535, 0.258, 0.713, 0.716, 0.610, and 0.200.and 0.342, respectively, therefore the significance level of 0.05 is not met.

The findings indicate that various nursing interventions such as massage therapy, stretch therapy, and application of heating pad are effective in reducing the symptoms of restless leg syndrome. Such nonpharmacological interventions can be easily practiced by nurses working in critical areas.