Stress Management and Resilience among Students Enrolled in the Entry Level Master of Science in Nursing (ELMSN) Program

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of mindfulness exercises on stress management and resilience among ELMSN students. Methods: The study was a quasi-experimental design that used a paired samples t-test to compare pre-test and post-test of students’ scores on both GAD-7 anxiety screening tool and short version of Grit-scale. Statistical tests were conducted with significance set at p < 0.05 (two-sided). All analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics, version 31.0 to compare pre-/post-test scores, determine differences, and statistical significance of interventions among the cohort. And a priori power analysis was conducted to determine the required sample size for a paired samples t-test. With an alpha level of 0.05 and a medium effect size (Cohen’s d = 0.50), a total sample size of N = 34 was determined to be sufficient to achieve a power of 0.80. Results: A convenience sample of 40 students (35 females and 5 males) participated in the study. Students had more anxiety before mindfulness exercises (M = 7.00, SD = 5.5) compared to after the mindfulness exercises (M = 6.2, SD = 3.4), t(39) = 1.41, p = 0.17. The effect size was small, d = 0.22. However, the difference in the students’ anxiety levels after the mindfulness exercises was not statistically significant, with a p-value of 0.17. On the resilience, students were less resilient before mindfulness exercises (M = 3.58, SD = 0.70) compared to after the mindfulness exercises (M = 3.96, SD = 0.50), t(39) = ？2.45, p = 0.02. The effect size was medium, d = ？0.39, but statistically significant with a p-value of 0.02. Conclusions: Inadequate stress management among students leads to anxiety that often serves as a barrier to academic success. Students were able to manage their anxiety better with the mindfulness exercises, and it was evident that students were more resilient after the exposure to several mindfulness exercises. Introduction of mindfulness exercises can assist students to be more confident and cope effectively with learning challenges throughout the undergraduate program. The adoption of mindfulness exercises can increase retention, academic success, and graduation rates among students. Practicing mindfulness exercises at home during leisure time by students should be further investigated and quantified. The adoption of mindfulness exercises can increase retention, academic success, and graduation rates among students.