The effect of progressive muscle relaxation on anxiety and stress in nursing students at the beginning of the internship program

Anxiety is a complicated process appearing from low to high which may reduce the learning ability. It is common among nurses as they struggle to cope with increasingly complicated stressors such as examinations, article preparation and practical experiences. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of muscle relaxation on reduction of anxiety in nursing students before starting the internship program. In this study, 40 nursing students who were going to start their internship program were randomly divided into two equal groups. Before starting the internship program, all students were asked to fill a questionnaire (Spielberger Test Anxiety) to measure their anxiety. In addition, physiological parameters (blood pressure, pulse, respiration, temperature) were collected before and after the study in both groups. During a 45-min session, muscle relaxation training was given to the test group. Muscle relaxation practice was continued three times per day for two weeks. Two weeks after starting the internship, Spiel Berger Test Anxiety and physiological parameters were collected again in both groups. Data were analyzed using Chi-square and t tests. The average age of the students in both groups was 22.7±2 (range=21 to 25 years) and the majority of the students were female (75%). No significant difference was observed between two groups for willingness to the nursing profession, birth rank and the average scores of the students from the previous years. The average anxiety score in control group before and after the study was 27.5±10.2 and 28.3±8.8 respectively (P>0.05). Average anxiety score in test group before and after the study was 25.4±19.5 and 29.2±14.1 respectively (P<0.05). To alleviate stressors associated with practical practice and create a healthy work environment for practice, it is recommended that nursing students have some progressive muscle relaxation before entering practical environments.