Holistic nursing practice
January 1, 2003
Ramita Bonadonna
146 citations
Meditation, rooted in Buddhist psychology and also explained by Western theories such as Jungian psychology and the relaxation response, can reduce anxiety, pain, depression, and stress while enhancing mood and self-esteem. Clinical studies have examined meditation in populations with fibromyalgia, cancer, hypertension, and psoriasis. Although earlier research was small and lacked controls, the quality and quantity of valid studies are growing. Meditation can positively influence the experience of chronic illness and serve as a prevention strategy. Health professionals can encourage this self-care practice and teach simple mindfulness techniques in clinical settings.
Holistic nursing practice
January 1, 2019
Elizabeth Fiske
17 citations
Reed's theory of self-transcendence explains how vulnerability, self-transcendence, and well-being are connected. Contemplative practices, such as meditation or mindfulness, can foster self-transcendence and improve well-being, aligning with the theory. The abstract outlines the core concepts of the theory and discusses how specific contemplative practices can enhance different dimensions of self-transcendence and well-being.
Holistic nursing practice
Müjde Kerkez, Behice Erci
16 citations
Older adults who practiced moving meditation exercises for six weeks showed lower depression scores and better sleep quality compared to a control group. The average depression level, subjective sleep quality, sleep disorder, and overall sleep quality significantly improved over time in the exercise group. Moving meditation exercise may reduce depression and improve sleep in elderly individuals, suggesting it could serve as a supportive method alongside traditional treatments.
Holistic nursing practice
Cenell Boch, Thomas Cappaert, Mary P Shotwell et al.
7 citations
A 4-week mindfulness meditation program helped nurses feel more confident handling problems and take a more balanced view of life situations. Nurses who meditated scored higher on these two measures than a control group, though other measures of stress and self-compassion showed no significant difference. The study enrolled 32 nurses and 26 completed it, with 17 in the meditation group and 9 in the control group. The results suggest mindfulness may benefit some aspects of well-being, but more research is needed to confirm broader effects.
Holistic nursing practice
Jyoti Valluri, Karen Gorton, Carol Schmer
6 citations
A review of 15 peer-reviewed studies from 2015 to 2020 examined diverse meditation practices beyond mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Loving-kindness, Mantra Meditation, and Vipassana from countries such as Portugal, Brazil, India, and Pakistan. All approaches reported positive therapeutic outcomes for 768 participants. The review synthesized these findings to create a broader, globally informed definition of meditation for health-related clinical practice.
Holistic nursing practice
Fatemeh Asadollah, Lida Nikfarid, Manijeh Nourian et al.
4 citations
Loving-kindness meditation (LKM) practiced virtually for one month reduced job-related burnout among NICU nurses. In a randomized trial with 66 nurses from two Tehran children's hospitals, those who listened to 20-minute LKM audio files three times per week showed a significant decrease in burnout scores, while the control group, which received mental health educational files, showed no significant change. The findings support LKM as a beneficial intervention for reducing burnout in this high-stress population.
Holistic nursing practice
February 2, 2026
Nicole A Gonzaga Gomez, Marva H Louisville, Christopher M Lay et al.
A 40-minute guided meditation session for Doctor of Nursing Practice students, incorporating breath work, emotional grounding, and cognitive recentering, significantly reduced stress and increased relaxation. In a pre-posttest evaluation of 39 participants, stress dropped and relaxation rose, both with high statistical significance. Nearly all participants reported benefits to personal well-being and recommended integrating the practice into future programs. The findings suggest that experiential meditation can foster resilience and self-care, offering nurse educators a practical strategy to support student wellness, professional development, and workforce sustainability.
Holistic nursing practice
October 10, 2024
Esma Özmaya, Sevda Uzun, Tufan Aytaç
A meta-analysis of 14 studies found that mindfulness-based stress reduction programs reduce depression and improve quality of life in cancer patients. The programs showed a small but statistically significant effect on depression and a moderate effect on quality of life. Factors such as type of cancer, duration of therapy, who provided the therapy, the scale used, and the study's origin influenced the effectiveness on quality of life. The findings suggest that mindfulness-based stress reduction can be a beneficial complementary approach in cancer care.