A Stress Relief App Intervention for Newly Employed Nursing Staff: Quasi-Experimental Design

Abstract

Background Most newly employed nurses have limited practical experience, lack problem-solving abilities, and have low resistance to stress, and therefore often opt to resign from the nursing profession. Objective This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a stress relief app (SR_APP) to monitor the stress levels of newly employed nurses. Methods We conducted a quasi-experiment to assess changes in stress levels of newly employed nurses at a case hospital, in which the experimental group used the SR_APP and the control group did not. In-depth interviews were conducted to reveal insights regarding their stress. The app usage experiences of experimental group members were assessed via a questionnaire. Results All the participants appreciated the experiment and were interested to know more about managing their stress. The experimental group members showed significant differences in heart rate variability scores before and after using the SR_APP, and they reported high levels of intention to use and satisfaction with regard to the SR_APP. Conclusions The SR_APP can be effective in helping newly employed nurses to manage their stress.