Mindfulness in the Moment: A Five-Minute Meditation to Reduce COVID-19 Vaccination-Related Anxiety in Patients With Cancer.
Amy Caramore, Justin M O'leary, Raymond E Baser, Jeanine Gordon, Margaret Barton-burke, Kristen L Fessele, Jennifer R Majumdar
Clinical journal of oncology nursing January 26, 2026 DOI: 10.1188/26.CJON.S1.E17-E23
Summary
During COVID-19 vaccine appointments, 14% of 256 cancer patients reported moderate to severe anxiety. To address this, a collaboration developed a brief meditation intervention. Patients used personal technology for a five-minute guided meditation during the post-vaccination wait. This simple prevention strategy significantly reduced acute anxiety for the intervention group. Implementing such meditation offers a scalable way for oncology nurses to support emotional well-being, particularly for those facing anxiety amplified by the pandemic.
Abstract
Anxiety is a common psychosocial concern in people with cancer that was amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Mindfulness-based interventions can reduce anxiety; brief, scalable strategies are needed for clinical integration. This study aimed to assess anxiety in patients with cancer during COVID-19 vaccination and to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a brief meditation intervention self-administered during the postvaccination waiting period. A DNP-PhD team conducted a quasiexperimental study with 256 adult patients assigned to intervention or control groups based on clinic flow. The intervention group received a five-minute guided meditation via personal mobile devices, and anxiety was measured pre- and postvaccination. Some participants (14%) reported moderate to severe anxiety. The intervention group experienced significantly greater reductions in acute anxiety. The intervention reduced anxiety and can be implemented by oncology nurses to support emotional well-being in outpatient cancer care settings.