This study aimed to examine the effects of mindfulness meditation on trait mindfulness, perceived stress, emotion regulation, and quality of life in end-stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis. An experimental study with repeated measures design was conducted among a sample of 74 end-stage renal disease patients undergoing hemodialysis between January and May 2021 in the dialysis center at Jahra hospital, Kuwait. The patients were randomly assigned to the experimental (n = 37) and control groups (n = 37). The experimental group participated in 30-min mindfulness meditation sessions (three sessions a week for five weeks) held during their hemodialysis sessions; the participants in the control group were instructed to sit with their eyes closed and relaxed for 30 min three times a week for five weeks during hemodialysis sessions. The dependent variables of both groups were measured at baseline (T0), middle of intervention (T1), and end of intervention (T2) using the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQOL-36) questionnaire. The study was registered in the ClinicalTrial.gov (Identifier: NCT05176730). The repeated measures ANOVA (within-subject) results for the experimental group showed that mindfulness meditation had significantly decreased perceived stress by the end of the intervention. Also, mindfulness meditation improved mindfulness, emotion regulation, and kidney disease-related quality of life in the experimental group, and this improvement occurred significantly at both T1 and T2. The repeated measures ANOVA (within and between-subject) results showed that the experimental group, as compared to the control group, had lower perceived stress, higher trait mindfulness, higher emotional regulation, and higher kidney disease-related quality of life over time. The positive findings of this study offer health policy-makers and hospital administrators a promising tool to use with patients undergoing hemodialysis as a way to manage stress and improve quality of life. However, this study should be replicated in multiple settings with follow-up assessments.

Purpose: Mindfulness meditation was used to reduce stress and its responses such as cortisol and C-reactive protein (CRP) among healthy and ill individuals in various cultures, but its effect has not yet been studied among nursing students, experiencing tremendous stress. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of mindfulness meditation on trait mindfulness, perceived stress, serum cortisol, and serum C-reactive proteins (CRP) in nursing students. Patients and Methods: Using a two-arm, randomized, parallel study (conducted in a large university in Jordan, 108 nursing students were randomly assigned to experimental group receiving five 30-minute weekly sessions of mindfulness meditation and control group sitting quiet during the experimental sessions. Trait mindfulness, perceived stress, serum cortisol, and CRP were measured at baseline and end of the intervention. Results: Using one-way MANOVA and post-hoc comparisons, the results showed that mindfulness meditation was significantly effective in decreasing serum cortisol levels and perceived stress. The mindfulness meditation also decreased CRP and increased trait mindfulness although the results did not reach statistically significant levels. Conclusion: These findings underscore the need for serious consideration of mindfulness meditation in nursing colleges to improve stress and raise immunity in this vulnerable population. Trial Registration: Mindfulness Meditation for Nursing Students: clinicaltrials.gov, identifier: NCT05099224.

Registered nurses are struggling on the front line to manage patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses, placing them at increased risks for severe perceived stress. Although perceived stress has often been considered a significant risk factor for impaired quality of life among registered nurses, having resilience has been generally shown to be associated with better quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the mediating effects of resilience on the relationship between perceived stress and quality of life in Jordanian clinical registered nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study used a cross-sectional correlational design with an online survey and adhered to the STROBE guideline for cross-sectional studies. A total of 550 registered nurses working in 6 hospitals were conveniently selected. Data were collected via a demographic questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and the WHOQOL scale. Descriptive, Pearson correlation, t-test, one-way ANOVA, and hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to analyze the data. The results indicated that resilience was negatively correlated with perceived stress and quality of life. Further, resilience was found to play a partial mediating role in the relationship between perceived stress and quality of life. Therefore, the results partially supported our study hypotheses. Health policy makers and administrators in Jordan should be aware of the importance of assessing and improving nurses’ resilience to decrease devastating effects of stress on quality of life.

This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of slow deep breathing relaxation exercise (SDBRE) in reducing patients’ pain levels during chest tube removal (CTR) post coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. In 2019, fifty post-CABG patients were conveniently selected from a cardiac intensive care unit in Jordan’s major referral heart institute. The patients were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control group. A total of 25 patients were assigned into the experimental group who received slow deep breathing relaxation Exercise (SDBRE) alongside the conventional care before CTR. The remaining 25 patients constituted the control group (50%) that had CTR following conventional care. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was used to measure the participants’ pain levels during three phases: before CTR (Time 1), 5-min post CTR (Time 2), and 15-min post CTR (Time 2) to compare the intervention effect between the two groups. The data analysis findings for the control and intervention group of patients showed that there was a statistically significant decline in their pain level across time for both groups (H = 32.71, P < 0.01; H = 47.23, P < 0.01) respectively. The intervention group had significantly lower pain levels than the control group at Time 2 (3.50 [1.20, 5.30] vs. 7.90 [7.00, 9.00], P < 0.01) and Time 3 (0.00 [0.00, 1.30] vs. 3.60 [2.40, 4.10] P < 0.01). Using SDBRE during CTR is an effective technique for reducing pain which can minimize the need for analgesics and their associated adverse effects.

The initial clinical training has been reported by nursing students as the most challenging component of the nursing programs. Although progressive muscle relaxation and guided imagery have been reported to improve emotional and physical health, the use of such approaches among nursing students rarely exist. The purpose of this study was to examine the deferential effects of progressive muscle relaxation [PMR] and guided imagery [GI] on physical and emotional symptoms in nursing students taking their initial clinical training. Using a three-group, randomized, single blinded study conducted in a large Jordanian university, 156 nursing students were randomly allocated into one of three study groups (PMR group, GI group, and control group). The physical symptoms and emotional symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed at baseline and end of the intervention. The study protocol was registered in ClinicalTrail.gov, identifier: xxxxxx. Using one-way MANOVA and post-hoc comparisons, the results showed that PMR and GI significantly reduced more physical symptoms than control condition although PMR was more effective than GI in this regard. GI significantly decreased more emotional symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and stress than PMR and control condition. PMR decreased anxiety, depression, and stress but the results were not statistically significant. The findings of this study support the ABC relaxation theory claiming that PMR im-proves better physical symptoms while GI improves better emotional symptoms. However, further studies using students from multiple settings are needed.

Background and aim: Mindfulness meditation has been inadequately used in patients with end-stage renal disease although it has been effective in reducing pro-inflammatory biomarkers in patients with chronic illnesses. Thus, this study examined mindfulness meditation effect on pro-inflammatory biomarkers and C-reactive protein in patients with end-stage renal disease. Materials and methods: Repeated measures, randomized, control experimental design was used. A convenience sampling technique was used to select the sample from a hospital located in northern Jordan. The participants were randomly distributed into experimental ( n = 31) and control ( n = 31) groups. During hemodialysis sessions, the group of experiment participants practiced 30 min of the Attentional behavioral cognitive theory version of mindfulness meditation; 3 times a week for 8 weeks). The inflammatory biomarkers including C-reactive protein, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukine-6 were measured by collecting peripheral blood through venipuncture. These biomarkers were analyzed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) protocol after 5 weeks of the intervention, and at its end (8 weeks). An Excel sheet was used to collect data for participants. Results: Compared to the control condition, mindfulness meditation led to statistically significant reductions in C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor over time but a nonsignificant effect on interleukine-6. Conclusion: Study’s results support the evidence-based practice recommendation of adding mindfulness meditation as a complementary treatment to the nurse’s care plans for patients with end-stage renal disease. Trial registration: Clinical trial.gov; ID: NCT06064708; Date: 09/26/2023.