The effect of chair massage on stress perception of hospital bedside nurses

Summary 

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of a 10min chair massage on the stress perception of hospital nurses in comparison to a routine “coffee break” during a working shift.

Methods

Eighty-two bedside nurses, (; ), mean age of 34.77±9.32, within a small, suburban hospital, participated in this study to determine the effect a 10-min on-site chair massage () had on their stress perception in comparison to a 10-min “coffee break” (). The feasibility of incorporating a massage into their workload during a shift was also considered. Using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), stress perception was assessed in an experimental pre-test–post-test design and analyzed using t-tests for dependent samples.

Results

Stress perception was significantly lower in the massage group () and was not significantly changed in the control group. Also, 86% of the nurses scheduled to participate in the study were able to do so within their normal workday.

Conclusion

Incorporating chair massage into a nurse's hospital shift is feasible and a 10min session reduces the stress perception of the nurse more so than the standard “coffee break”. This study focused on a one-time intervention for the 82 nurses enrolled. Further study on the longer term feasibility and effects of chair massage on this population and others in high stress professions is warranted.

Keywords: Chair massage, Stress perception, Stress, Hospital shift, Shift work, Nursing, Massage therapy