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Completed

NCT Number: NCT06271278

The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques Application on Nurses

Nurses working in surgical intensive care units face numerous health and safety stressors. The introduction of new health technologies, medical devices (such as bedside monitors, pump and perfuser devices, and mechanical ventilators), and changing health environments have contributed to increased work stress among nurses. This, in turn, has had negative effects on their physical and mental health outcomes. One of the hazards associated with medical devices is alarm fatigue. Noise pollution caused by bells, beeps, and horns in intensive care units can lead to alarm fatigue, defined as desensitisation to monitor alarms. Nurses are particularly susceptible to this due to their constant exposure to these sounds, which can also cause stress. Occupational stress is a recognised issue in this demanding field, characterised by disproportionate workloads and negative effects on performance.Work-related stress can lead to a loss of compassion towards patients and an increase in malpractice, negatively affecting the quality of care. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the impact of applying emotional freedom techniques on work-related stress and alarm fatigue experienced by nurses working in surgical intensive care units.

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Key information

Conditions

Occupational Stress Alert Fatigue, Health Personnel Behavior Behavioral Symptoms Fatigue Mental Fatigue Occupational Diseases Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Stress, Psychological

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Inonu University Turgut OzaL Medical Center

Malatya, 44090, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Surgical intensive care units have high mortality and mobility rates and require 24-hour monitoring. Intensive care environments are stressful for working individuals, particularly nurses, due to health and safety concerns. In recent years, new health technologies and medical devices, as well as changing health environments, have increased work stress among nurses, leading to negative physical and mental health outcomes. The use of medical device alarms, including bedside monitors, pump devices, perfuser devices, patient heating-cooling devices, mechanical ventilators, computers, and nutrition devices, has increased over time. These alarms are used to monitor changes in the vital signs of patients and ensure continuity of care. However, alarm fatigue is a significant problem caused by medical devices. Noise pollution is a common issue in intensive care units due to the various sounds emitted by medical devices. Health professionals may experience alarm fatigue, which is defined as desensitisation to monitor alarms. Dealing with alarm fatigue requires objective and comprehensible solutions. Inappropriate techniques such as disabling alarms, delayed response, setting them between unsafe parameters, and turning down the volume so low that they cannot be heard, are cognitive stressors. The continuous exposure to these alarm sounds, coupled with the nature of nurses' work, can also cause stress. Occupational stress is a demanding profession that can have negative effects on performance. Therefore, it is important to address occupational stress in the nursing profession. It is quite common among nurses and can jeopardise both their quality of life and patient safety. Work-related stress can lead to a loss of compassion towards patients and an increase in malpractice, negatively affecting the quality of care. Thus, this study aimed to investigate the impact of applying emotional freedom techniques on work-related stress and alarm fatigue experienced by nurses working in surgical intensive care units.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Being 18 years of age or older
  • Working as a nurse in one of the surgical intensive care units
  • Volunteering to participate in the study

Exclusion criteria

  • Working in a unit other than surgical intensive care units
  • Not volunteering to participate in the research

Treatment and study plan

Emotional Freedom Technique

Behavioral

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a powerful and effective practice that enables individuals to release negative emotions and achieve mental and physical relaxation. EFT is a form of counselling based on acupuncture points, which are areas of low electrical and energy flow in the body. Stimulating these points causes the brain to secrete dopamine. EFT involves stimulating specific points on the body where energy flow is low. This is done by gently tapping on these areas with the fingers, which releases dopamine. The process is painless and can be performed by the individual themselves.

Primary outcomes

  1. Subjective Units of Disturbance Scale

    Time frame: 0-7 days tracking

    The discomfort scale used in energy therapies allows individuals to evaluate their own discomfort on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no discomfort and 10 indicates unbearable discomfort.

  2. Alarm Fatigue Scale

    Time frame: 0-7 days tracking

    The scale consists of 13 items and produces a score between 0 and 36. A higher score indicates an increase in alarm fatigue.

  3. The General Work Stress Scale

    Time frame: 0-7 days tracking

    The General Work Stress Scale is a 9-item scale that produces scores ranging from 9 to 45. High scores indicate high job stress, while low scores indicate low job stress.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Gürkan

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effects of Emotional Freedom Technique on Work-Related Stress and Alarm Fatigue in Nurses Working in Surgical Intensive Care Units

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2024
Study completion
2024
First posted
Feb 21, 2024
Registry last updated
Jan 14, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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