The Role of Rhythmic Breathing in Stress Reduction and Well-Being: A Pilot Study
Abstract
Background: Nursing workload has dramatically changed over the last 20 years. The job duties of acute care hospital medical surgical nurses have changed and contributed to a shift in the well-being of nurses and in their overall work-related stress.
Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the effects of the daily practice of pranayama on overall stress and well-being of clinical nurses.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional pilot study was performed to impart to nurses in acute care medical surgical nurses’ pranayama as an aid to stress reduction and thereby improve well-being. Well-being and stress surveys were collected at baseline, pre and post intervention.
Results: The results of the surveys indicated improved well-being index scores (World Health Organization’s WHO-5). However, the stress surveys did not reveal statistically significant results.
Conclusion: The take-away from the pilot study was that pranayama practice improved WHO-5 scores and has the potential to improve overall well-being of acute care medical surgical nurses. The results of this study strongly support the need for a larger-scale investigation to further explore the benefits of pranayama practice.
Keywords: stress reduction, well-being, rhythmic breathing, pranayama
How to Cite:
Bommakanti, R., Bouvier, M., Higgins, M., Bommakanti, R., Bouvier, M. & Higgins, M., (2025) “The Role of Rhythmic Breathing in Stress Reduction and Well-Being: A Pilot Study”, Building Healthy Academic Communities 9(2), 49-59. doi: https://doi.org/10.18061/bhac.v9i2.10335
Rights: Rajitha Bommakanti, Monique Bouvier, Melinda Higgins
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