Health and Wellness: Biofeedback Interventions in Mitigating Stress in Undergraduate Nursing Students

Abstract

Biofeedback is a mind-body therapy that seeks to increase physiological awareness and gain control over certain physiological functions, such as heart rate and blood pressure. The impact of biofeedback on certain psychological conditions continues to be explored. Many studies in the past few years have focused on improving one's mental health and emotional well-being. Nursing students are under a significant amount of stress and are unstudied. Exploring the use of biofeedback as a therapy could prove to be beneficial for this population. This quantitative descriptive pilot study examined the use of heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback and paced breathing on mitigating stress and anxiety in undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students. Study participants completed a stress/anxiety questionnaire, and their oxygen saturation, heart rate, and blood pressure were monitored intermittently for five minutes to provide a baseline reading. Participants then received face-to-face initial biofeedback training and were monitored for an additional five minutes while their breathing was paced. Participants were sent home with a paced breathing application and instructed to use the app twice a day for two weeks, at which point they came back to the lab for post-intervention data collections, with a repeat paced breathing session and a stress/anxiety questionnaire. This study received IRB approval. Our sample size was 10 undergraduate baccalaureate nursing students. Results were analyzed and showed a minimal reduction in stress, as well as heart rate and blood pressure. Biofeedback can be one effective tool for the management of stress and anxiety in undergraduate nursing students.