A pilot group of 28 nurses, aged 20s to 60s, will spend some 80 hours over the next six months learning stress-management skills. We saw a 75 percent drop in absenteeism from work, a 40 percent drop in smoking, reduced anxiety, depression, irritability and fatigue, along with better concentration and improved sleeping habits. We believe stress relaxation may help manage or even prevent certain diseases, especially those with strong stress elements, such as hypertension and cancer. Building on the research, a course was custom-tailored for nurses. There are four modules, each focusing on a different technique for relaxation.
Nurses invest in long and arduous training, but then leave the profession because of burn-out.
I'm eager for them to have the skills to cope with the pressure-cooker environment. Dr. Wagner went beyond recommending the new course. The head of nursing in the thousand-bed hospital set an example by becoming one of the course's first students. The relaxation techniques gave me an energy that has stayed with me. After the nurses learn to relax themselves, they become trainers, learning how to teach relaxation to others.