The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques Application on Nurses

NCT06271278 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: 2023-17
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 144
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Nurses working in surgical intensive care units face numerous health and safety stressors. The introduction of new health technologies, medical devices (such as bedside monitors, pump and perfuser devices, and mechanical ventilators), and changing health environments have contributed to increased work stress among nurses. This, in turn, has had negative effects on their physical and mental health outcomes. One of the hazards associated with medical devices is alarm fatigue. Noise pollution caused by bells, beeps, and horns in intensive care units can lead to alarm fatigue, defined as desensitisation to monitor alarms. Nurses are particularly susceptible to this due to their constant exposure to these sounds, which can also cause stress. Occupational stress is a recognised issue in this demanding field, characterised by disproportionate workloads and negative effects on performance.Work-related stress can lead to a loss of compassion towards patients and an increase in malpractice, negatively affecting the quality of care. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the impact of applying emotional freedom techniques on work-related stress and alarm fatigue experienced by nurses working in surgical intensive care units.

Conditions

Occupational Stress; Alert Fatigue, Health Personnel

Keywords

Surgical intensive care; Alarm Fatigue; Job stress; Emotional Freedom Technique; Surgical nurse

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale

  The discomfort scale used in energy therapies allows individuals to evaluate their own discomfort on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no discomfort and 10 indicates unbearable discomfort.

  0-7 days tracking

• Alarm Fatigue Scale

  The scale consists of 13 items and produces a score between 0 and 36. A higher score indicates an increase in alarm fatigue.

  0-7 days tracking

• The General Work Stress Scale

  The General Work Stress Scale is a 9-item scale that produces scores ranging from 9 to 45. High scores indicate high job stress, while low scores indicate low job stress.

  0-7 days tracking

Study Arms (2)

Emotional Freedom Techniques group

EXPERIMENTAL

The Nurse Introduction Form, Subjective Discomfort Unit, Alarm Fatigue Scale, and Work Stress Scale were administered to the experimental group prior to patient care. The Emotional Freedom Technique was explained, and the nurses were instructed to apply it before and after their shifts for one week. One week later, the Subjective Discomfort Unit, Alarm Fatigue Scale, and Work Stress Scale were applied again.

Behavioral: Emotional Freedom Technique

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

No applications were administered to nurses working in the surgical intensive care unit. In the control group, data was collected before patient care using the Nurse Introduction Form, Subjective Discomfort Unit, Alarm Fatigue Scale, and Work Stress Scale. No interventions were performed. One week later, the Subjective Discomfort Unit, Alarm Fatigue Scale, and Work Stress Scale were applied again.

Interventions

Emotional Freedom Technique BEHAVIORAL

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a powerful and effective practice that enables individuals to release negative emotions and achieve mental and physical relaxation. EFT is a form of counselling based on acupuncture points, which are areas of low electrical and energy flow in the body. Stimulating these points causes the brain to secrete dopamine. EFT involves stimulating specific points on the body where energy flow is low. This is done by gently tapping on these areas with the fingers, which releases dopamine. The process is painless and can be performed by the individual themselves.

Emotional Freedom Techniques group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Being 18 years of age or older
• Working as a nurse in one of the surgical intensive care units
• Volunteering to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Working in a unit other than surgical intensive care units
• Not volunteering to participate in the research

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Gürkan: lead

Study Sites (1)

Inonu University Turgut OzaL Medical Center

Malatya, 44090, Turkey (Türkiye)

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Occupational Stress; Alert Fatigue, Health Personnel

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Occupational Diseases; Stress, Psychological; Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Mental Fatigue; Fatigue; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Participants will be blinded to their group assignment. The subjects will be selected in a randomized order using software. Data collection will be conducted without involvement from research analysts.
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Model Details: This study was conducted as a randomised controlled study with experimental and control groups.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 14, 2024
• First Posted: February 21, 2024
• Study Start: November 2, 2023
• Primary Completion: June 28, 2024
• Study Completion: August 16, 2024
• Last Updated: January 14, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

TU (1)