The Effect of Progressive Relaxation Exercise on Fatigue in Intensive Care Nurses

Intensive care nurses experience high levels of fatigue due to the physically and mentally demanding tasks they undertake. For example; Conditions such as prolonged seizures, difficulty sleeping, and heavy workload trigger this fatigue. One of the non-pharmacological interventions used in the management of fatigue experienced by intensive care nurses is progressive relaxation exercise (PGE). PGE involves voluntary, continuous and systematic stretching and subsequent relaxation of various muscle groups and was first described by Jacobson in 1938. The purpose of PGE is to focus attention on skeletal muscles and relax the whole body. While doing the exercise, the individual feels the difference between tension and relaxation in the muscles. Thus, when needed, it learns to relax in order to reduce the tension in the muscles. In the literature, it has been shown that PGE reduces the severity of fatigue caused by different chronic diseases. In this context, in this study, it is aimed to examine the effect of progressive relaxation exercise applied to intensive care nurses on fatigue and to contribute to the literature and to the fatigue management of nurses in line with the results obtained.

Inclusion criteria

• Working for at least 6 months
• Having a Fatigue Severity Scale score of 2.8 and above
• Volunteer to participate in research

Exclusion criteria

• Having a problem that prevents breathing through the nose
• Having a diagnosis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) or Asthma
• Being pregnant
• Having physical and mental health problems that prevent communication
• Practicing any complementary method (relaxation exercise, yoga, etc.) during the study
• Informed about the research but willing to participate in the research