Effects Of Guided Imagery On The Level Of Stress Experienced By Pre-Licensure Baccalaureate Nursing Students Engaged In Clinical Learning Experiences

There has been much research to suggest that the stress and anxiety that nursing students report while enrolled in their programs is extreme. This study examined the utility of one self-relaxation strategy, guided imagery, that nursing students may use to assist them in dealing with feelings of overwhelming stress while learning in clinical settings. The purpose of this research was to study the effects of guide imagery as a self-relaxation strategy to strengthen nursing students' ability to cope with the stressors associated with learning in clinical environments. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design to assess the effectiveness of guided imagery to reduce the state anxiety experienced by the experimental participants during one academic semester. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults was the instrument that was used to assess the participants' state and trait anxiety during the beginning, middle, and end of the clinical semester. The sample for this study consisted of baccalaureate nursing students from a small-sized college in New England. The sample participants were divided into a control and experimental group. The participants were surveyed three-times during the data collection period; prior to the start of the clinical semester; at the mid-term point in the semester; and during the final week of the clinical semester. The experimental participants were given a hyperlink to a 5-minute YouTube presentation which they were instructed to play prior to each clinical shift. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for Adults was survey used to measure the participants' state and trait anxiety levels. Independent sample t-tests, ANOVA, and repeated measures testing were used to assess for significant differences in the participants' responses. It is important to note that although the findings of this study were not statistically significant, the varied standard deviation exhibited in the participants' scores of over time warrants further exploration. Ultimately, this study is the foundation for future studies related to the effectiveness of guided imagery to assist nursing students in managing stress and anxiety related to learning in clinical settings.