Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise on Anxiety Among Male Nursing Students Undergoing Maternity Clinical Training

Abstract

Introduction Student in a maternity nursing program must be engaged in practical training and they must be well prepared and directed along the way to becoming qualified professionals. Objective The study aimed to investigate the effect of progressive muscle relaxation exercise on anxiety among male nursing students undergoing maternity clinical training. Methods A quasi-experimental, pre-post study was conducted on nursing at Arab American University Palestine. The sample of the study consisted of 48 male nursing students enrolled in the maternity nursing course. They were selected through convenience sampling. This study was conducted on one group of male nursing students that received Jacobson's progressive muscle relaxation exercise for five consecutive days per week. The S-anxiety scale (STAI Form Y-1) was applied to collect data before and after the intervention. Results The magnitude of anxiety reduction after the progressive muscle relaxation exercise was greater than before ( t (47) = 21.2, p < .05). Conclusion The current study's findings indicated the influence of progressive muscle relaxation on maternity clinical setting anxiety reduction among male nursing students.