Evaluation of a Biofeedback-assisted Meditation Program as a Stress Management Tool for Hospital Nurses

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The purpose of this study is to assess a novel meditation program which is biofeedback reinforced (Healing Rhythms™) as a means to improving stress management in a population of nurses practicing in the hospital setting.

Detailed Description
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Stress is a common problem with significant ramifications for health. This is especially true in the workplace and particularly true for nurses practicing in a hospital environment. A number of factors (e.g. an aging population, the obesity epidemic, patients presenting with multi-system diseases, etc.) have dramatically increased the demands on hospital nurses in the past decade. This increased stress has potential ramifications at a personal level (e.g. increased risk of ill health) as well as an institutional (e.g. higher staff turnover). Meditation has been shown to be an effective tool for stress management. A self-directed, computer-guided meditation training program that can be pursued independently may be particularly useful for hospital nurses where scheduling challenges may preclude the use of scheduled classes. Healing Rhythms™ is a computer program that teaches meditation and uses biofeedback (heart rate variability and galvanic skin response) to reinforce the training.

Official Title
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Evaluation of a Biofeedback-assisted Meditation Program as a Stress Management Tool for Hospital Nurses: A Pilot Study

Conditions
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Stress

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Healing Rhythms™ Meditation Program


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Subjects ≥ 18 years of age Subjects that have given consent to participate Subjects that have access to a home computer Exclusion Criteria: Subjects who are currently engaged in a routine meditative practice

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 90 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Treatment
Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Stress Management Tool<br>All subjects will use the Healing Rhythms™ meditation program for 4 weeks. | Behavioral: Healing Rhythms™ Meditation Program<br>* The Healing Rhythms™ meditation program was chosen as the intervention for this study because it has a long history of use in the consumer market, it provides a dual-mode biofeedback which allows users to visually see their progress, and it provides an attractive and engaging user interface which is enjoyable to use. This is a critical factor as the research cited documents the importance of adherence in achieving optimal outcomes.<br>* Other names: Wild Devine;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Assess the efficacy of a novel meditation program on stress, anxiety and quality of life (QOL) in nurses practicing in the hospital. Compare the level of stress, anxiety and QOL before and after a 4 week training period utilizing Healing Rhythms™. |  | 4 Weeks | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Evaluate feasibility of integrating a novel meditation program into an overall stress management program for nurses practicing in the hospital. Report overall satisfaction and identify challenges with the experience of the meditation program. |  | 4 Weeks | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Healing Rhythms™, Meditation, Biofeedback, Stress