The Effect of Progressive Relaxation Exercises on Clinical Anxiety and Vital Signs of Nursing Students

Nigar Ünlüsoy Dinçer; Gönül Gümüş

Article Details

The Effect of Progressive Relaxation Exercises on Clinical Anxiety and Vital Signs of Nursing Students

Authors:

Nigar Ünlüsoy Dinçer | Gönül Gümüş

Publisher:

Izmir Katip Celebi University

Main Topics:

Hemşirelik Esasları

Journal:

İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 3, pp.400-406

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001360081

pISSN:

2458-9799

Keywords:

Abstract:

 Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of progressive relaxation exercises on the clinical anxiety levels and vital signs of first-year nursing students. Material and Methods: This study utilized a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group. The sample consisted of 40 first-year nursing students intervention20, control20 who participated in clinical practice during the spring semester of the 2016-2017 academic year, met the inclusion criteria, and agreed to participate in the research. Data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Vital Signs Follow-up Form, and the Visual Analog Scale-Anxiety. During the preparation phase, progressive relaxation exerciseswere taught and practiced with the intervention group for six weeks twice a week prior to their clinical practice. In the implementation phase, on the first day of clinical practice, only the students in the intervention group performed the exercises. All students anxiety levels and vital signs were measured before and after the intervention. Results: The mean age of the intervention group was 19.901.33 years, while the control group had a mean age of 19.651.59 p0.05. The majority of participants were female, with 85 n17 in the intervention group and 95 n19 in the control group being female p0.05. It was found that the post-test anxiety levels of students in the intervention group 4.050.88 decreased significantly compared to both their own pretest levels 8.050.94 and the post-test levels of the control group 7.901.02p0.05. In terms of vital signs, it was observed that the systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate of the students in the intervention group decreased significantly compared to their pre-test measurements p0.05. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that nursing students should incorporate progressive relaxation exercises to alleviate anxiety associated with clinical practice, as well as to reducesystolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate. Keywords: Anxiety, clinical practice, progressive relaxation, vital signs.

 Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of progressive relaxation exercises on the clinical anxiety levels and vital signs of first-year nursing students. Material and Methods: This study utilized a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group. The sample consisted of 40 first-year nursing students intervention20, control20 who participated in clinical practice during the spring semester of the 2016-2017 academic year, met the inclusion criteria, and agreed to participate in the research. Data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Vital Signs Follow-up Form, and the Visual Analog Scale-Anxiety. During the preparation phase, progressive relaxation exerciseswere taught and practiced with the intervention group for six weeks twice a week prior to their clinical practice. In the implementation phase, on the first day of clinical practice, only the students in the intervention group performed the exercises. All students anxiety levels and vital signs were measured before and after the intervention. Results: The mean age of the intervention group was 19.901.33 years, while the control group had a mean age of 19.651.59 p0.05. The majority of participants were female, with 85 n17 in the intervention group and 95 n19 in the control group being female p0.05. It was found that the post-test anxiety levels of students in the intervention group 4.050.88 decreased significantly compared to both their own pretest levels 8.050.94 and the post-test levels of the control group 7.901.02p0.05. In terms of vital signs, it was observed that the systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate of the students in the intervention group decreased significantly compared to their pre-test measurements p0.05. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that nursing students should incorporate progressive relaxation exercises to alleviate anxiety associated with clinical practice, as well as to reducesystolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate. Keywords: Anxiety, clinical practice, progressive relaxation, vital signs.

 Objective: This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of progressive relaxation exercises on the clinical anxiety levels and vital signs of first-year nursing students. Material and Methods: This study utilized a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group. The sample consisted of 40 first-year nursing students intervention20, control20 who participated in clinical practice during the spring semester of the 2016-2017 academic year, met the inclusion criteria, and agreed to participate in the research. Data were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, the Vital Signs Follow-up Form, and the Visual Analog Scale-Anxiety. During the preparation phase, progressive relaxation exerciseswere taught and practiced with the intervention group for six weeks twice a week prior to their clinical practice. In the implementation phase, on the first day of clinical practice, only the students in the intervention group performed the exercises. All students anxiety levels and vital signs were measured before and after the intervention. Results: The mean age of the intervention group was 19.901.33 years, while the control group had a mean age of 19.651.59 p0.05. The majority of participants were female, with 85 n17 in the intervention group and 95 n19 in the control group being female p0.05. It was found that the post-test anxiety levels of students in the intervention group 4.050.88 decreased significantly compared to both their own pretest levels 8.050.94 and the post-test levels of the control group 7.901.02p0.05. In terms of vital signs, it was observed that the systolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate of the students in the intervention group decreased significantly compared to their pre-test measurements p0.05. Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that nursing students should incorporate progressive relaxation exercises to alleviate anxiety associated with clinical practice, as well as to reducesystolic blood pressure, pulse rate, and respiratory rate. Keywords: Anxiety, clinical practice, progressive relaxation, vital signs.

 Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı hemşirelik birinci sınıf öğrencilerinin klinik kaygı düzeylerine ve yaşamsal bulgularına progresif gevşeme egzersizlerinin etkisini belirlemektir. Gereç ve Yöntem: Araştırma ön test-son test kontrol gruplu yarı deneysel tasarımda hazırlanmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini 2016-2017 öğretim yılı bahar dönemi birinci sınıf hemşirelik öğrencilerinden klinik uygulamaya çıkan, araştırma kriterlerine uyan ve araştırmaya katılmayı kabul eden 40 öğrenci müdahale20, kontrol20 oluşturmuştur. Araştırmada veriler, Tanıtıcı Özellikler Formu, Yaşamsal Bulgular İzlem Formu ve Görsel Analog Skala-Anksiyete VAS-A ile toplanmıştır. Hazırlık aşamasında progresif gevşeme egzersizleri eğitimi, klinik uygulama öncesi müdahale grubuna altı hafta boyunca haftada iki gün öğretilip, uygulatılmıştır. Uygulama aşamasında ise klinik uygulamanın ilk günü sadece müdahale grubundaki öğrencilere egzersizler uygulatılıp, uygulama öncesi ve sonrası tüm öğrencilerin kaygı düzeyleri ve yaşamsal bulguları ölçülmüştür. Bulgular: Müdahale grubundaki öğrencilerin egzersiz sonrası son test kaygı düzeyinin 4,050,88 hem kendi ön testine 8,050,94 hem de kontrol grubunun son testine 7,901,02 göre anlamlı bir şekilde düştüğü tespit edilmiştir p0,05. Yaşamsal bulgular açısından ise müdahale grubundaki öğrencilerin sistolik kan basıncının, nabız ve solunum sayısının kendi ön test ölçümüne göre anlamlı olarak düştüğü görülmüştür p0,05. Sonuç: Araştırmanın sonuçları göz önünde bulundurulduğunda hemşirelik öğrencilerine klinik uygulama kaygısının, sistolik kan basıncının, nabız ve solunum sayısının azaltılmasında progresif gevşeme egzersizlerini uygulama önerisinde bulunulmuştur. Anahtar Kelimeler: Anksiyete, klinik uygulama, progresif gevşeme, yaşamsal bulgular.

Article Details

The Effect of Progressive Relaxation Exercises on Clinical Anxiety and Vital Signs of Nursing Students

Authors:

Nigar Ünlüsoy Dinçer | Gönül Gümüş

Publisher:

Izmir Katip Celebi University

Main Topics:

Hemşirelik Esasları

Journal:

İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 3, pp.400-406

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001360081

pISSN:

2458-9799

Anxiety

clinical practice

progressive relaxation

vital signsAnksiyete

klinik uygulama

progresif gevşeme

yaşamsal bulgular

Issues

Article Details

Authors: Nigar Ünlüsoy Dinçer | Gönül Gümüş

Publisher: Izmir Katip Celebi University

Main Topics: Hemşirelik Esasları

Journal: İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 3, pp.400-406

Document Type: Article

Publication Date: 9/2025

Document Language: Turkish

Document ID (Org No.): 2001360081

pISSN: 2458-9799

Issues

Authors:

Nigar Ünlüsoy Dinçer | Gönül Gümüş

Publisher:

Izmir Katip Celebi University

Main Topics:

Hemşirelik Esasları

Journal:

İzmir Katip Çelebi Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Fakültesi Dergisi Vol.10 Issue 3, pp.400-406

Document Type:

Article

Publication Date:

9/2025

Document Language:

Turkish

Document ID (Org No.):

2001360081

pISSN:

2458-9799