Effectiveness of Breathing Exercises on Stress among Nurses Working in Selected Hospitals

Abstract

Introduction: Stress may be defined as a real or interpreted threat to the physiological or psychological response. It results because of the compulsion of a person to adjust or adapt to an environment. The aim of the study was to assess the effectiveness of deep breathing exercises on stress among nurses working in selected hospitals in the Kanyakumari District. Materials and Methods: A quantitative approach was used in the study. A quasi-experimental one-group pre-test post-test control group design was adopted. The sample size consisted of 30 nurses. The conceptual framework was based on Betty Neuman’s System Model (1995). A purposive sampling technique was adopted. The tool used for data collection procedures was modified expanded nurses stress scale. Breathing exercise was given for 20 minutes daily for 2 weeks. Result: The study findings revealed that 80% of nurses had moderate stress and 20% had severe stress. After practicing breathing exercises, 26.7% of nurses had no stress and 73.3% had mild stress. No one had moderate and severe stress. There was a significant improvement in the mean post-test stress scores among nurses. Conclusion: The findings revealed that breathing exercises are an effective method in reducing stress among nurses.