Effects of deep breathing relaxation technique on clinical practice stress and sleep quality in novice nursing students

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the effect of the deep breathing relaxation technique (DBRT) on reducing clinical practice stress and improving sleep quality in clinical practice of nursing students. Methods: A quasi-experimental study. The data collection period was January to February 2021; including the intervention group (IG, n = 49) and the control group (CG, n = 49). DBRT was self-administered by IG participants during the clinical practice period, while CG learnt as usual. The demographic information form, the Clinical Practice Stress Scale (CPSS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) were used for data collection. Paired t-tests and independent t-tests were used for data analysis. Results: The difference in CPSS and PSQI between the two groups before and after the intervention was statistically significant, indicating that clinical practice stress within the group was reduced and sleep quality was improved. The independent t-test showed that there was a statistical difference in CPSS between the two groups, but there was no statistical difference in PSQI; indicating that DBRT has an effect on reducing the stress of IG in clinical practice, but there was no significant difference in sleep quality. Conclusions: DBRT may reduce clinical practice stress in clinical practice. Although there was no significant difference in sleep quality between the groups, DBRT could still be prioritized when designing interventions to modify stress and sleep quality in clinical practice.