Reflective Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation Training to Enhance Nursing Students' Self-Awareness, Understanding, and Regulation

NCT06760962 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: Nursing college, Benha Univ
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 40
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study assessed the impact of a six-week Reflective Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation Training (RMERT) program on fourth-year nursing students. Using a randomized controlled trial with 40 participants, the intervention group (n=20) received RMERT, while the control group (n=20) continued standard coursework.

Conditions

Undergraduate Health Professional Students

Keywords

Mindfulness; emotional regulation; nursing students; nursing education; self-awareness; mixed method

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Emotion Regulation Questionnaire

  Respondents answer each item on a 7-point Likert-type scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The scoring takes the average of all the scores in each subscale. The higher the score, the greater the use of that strategy and vice-versa.

  6 weeks

• The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS)

  The Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), developed by Brown and Ryan in 2003, is a 15-item self-report instrument designed to measure a fundamental aspect of mindfulness: a receptive and attentive state of awareness focused on the present moment. Respondents rate their experiences using a six-point Likert scale, ranging from 1 ("almost always") to 6 ("rarely"). The MAAS has demonstrated strong psychometric properties and has been validated across diverse populations, including college students, community members, and individuals with cancer. The overall score is calculated as the average of the 15 items, with higher scores reflecting greater mindfulness.

  6 weeks

Study Arms (2)

study group

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Reflective Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation training

control group

NO INTERVENTION

no intervention

Interventions

Reflective Mindfulness and Emotional Regulation training BEHAVIORAL

The RMERT program consisted of six weekly 90-minute sessions facilitated by researchers trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and transactional analysis (TA). The training employed the ABC model of CBT (Activating events, Beliefs, and Consequences) to address maladaptive cognitive patterns, along with TA techniques such as empathic inquiry and reflection. Relaxation strategies, including diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, were also integrated. The sessions focused on enabling students to reflect on their mental and emotional states, process their feelings, and apply cognitive reappraisal-a healthy emotional regulation strategy-instead of relying on expressive suppression, which is maladaptive.

study group

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Students enroled in the psychiatric/mental health nursing course for the first time, i.e., did not enrol in or join similar or the same course before.
• for example, joined the faculty from the secondary school, not through other paths or bridging educational programs that would include psychiatric/mental health courses/modules as part of their programs
• did not fail the course before or attended it for more time.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Alexandria University: lead
• Benha University: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

faculty of nursing Alexandria university

Alexandria, None Selected, 21523, Egypt

Location

Related Publications (3)

• Veigh CM, Reid J, Carswell C, Ace L, Walsh I, Graham-Wisener L, Rej S, Potes A, Atkinson K, Edginton T, Noble H. Mindfulness as a well-being initiative for future nurses: a survey with undergraduate nursing students. BMC Nurs. 2021 Dec 20;20(1):253. doi: 10.1186/s12912-021-00783-0.

  PMID: 34930234 BACKGROUND

• McVeigh C, Ace L, Ski CF, Carswell C, Burton S, Rej S, Noble H. Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Undergraduate Nursing Students in a University Setting: A Narrative Review. Healthcare (Basel). 2021 Nov 2;9(11):1493. doi: 10.3390/healthcare9111493.

  PMID: 34828538 BACKGROUND

• Salem GMM, Hashimi W, El-Ashry AM. Reflective mindfulness and emotional regulation training to enhance nursing students' self-awareness, understanding, and regulation: a mixed method randomized controlled trial. BMC Nurs. 2025 Apr 30;24(1):478. doi: 10.1186/s12912-025-03086-w.

  PMID: 40307764 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Emotional Regulation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Self-Control; Social Behavior; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, CARE PROVIDER, INVESTIGATOR
• Masking Details: Forty students met the eligibility requirements and were randomly assigned at a 1:1 ratio to control and intervention groups of twenty each. The intervention set was then split into ten subgroups to form counseling groups. The intervention and control groups completed the pre-test and post-tests one week before the sessions began and one week after they ended. Students' identifiers were removed to ensure confidentiality. In two subgroups of 10, each intervention group attended intervention sessions, while the control group did not receive any intervention sessions. During the intervention sessions, both groups attended the theoretical and clinical parts of the psychiatric mental health nursing course with their colleagues. As part of their training, they facilitated nursing services for actual patients in clinical settings.
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Lecturer, PhD

Model Details: The RMERT program consisted of six weekly 90-minute sessions facilitated by researchers trained in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and transactional analysis (TA). The training employed the ABC model of CBT (Activating events, Beliefs, and Consequences) to address maladaptive cognitive patterns, along with TA techniques such as empathic inquiry and reflection. Relaxation strategies, including diaphragmatic breathing and progressive muscle relaxation, were also integrated. The sessions focused on enabling students to reflect on their mental and emotional states, process their feelings, and apply cognitive reappraisal-a healthy emotional regulation strategy-instead of relying on expressive suppression, which is maladaptive.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 23, 2024
• First Posted: January 7, 2025
• Study Start: January 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: January 20, 2024
• Study Completion: April 20, 2024
• Last Updated: January 7, 2025

Record last verified: 2024-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL
• Time Frame: 2 weeks
• Access Criteria: all authors of the study

Locations

EG (1)