Effects of an Online Meditation Programme on Stress and Fatigue in Critical Care Nurses: A Randomised Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND: Critical care nurses are frequently exposed to high levels of occupational stress and fatigue because of demanding workloads, emotional burden and the need for sustained vigilance in complex clinical environments. AIM: To evaluate the effects of an online meditation programme on perceived stress and fatigue among intensive care nurses. STUDY DESIGN: This single-centre, two-arm, pre-test/post-test randomised controlled trial was conducted in a hospital in Türkiye between December 2021 and January 2022 using a convenience sample of eligible intensive care nurses. Nurses were randomly assigned to the intervention and control groups. The intervention group participated in a six-week online meditation programme delivered via WhatsApp, consisting of 20-min sessions three times per week. RESULTS: Forty nurses completed the study and were included in the final analysis (20 in the intervention group and 20 in the control group). Baseline perceived stress and fatigue scores were similar between groups. At post-test, the intervention group had significantly lower perceived stress scores than the control group (25.50 ± 4.22 vs. 30.90 ± 7.50, p = 0.008) and significantly lower fatigue severity scores (3.06 ± 0.65 vs. 3.99 ± 0.77, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A brief online meditation programme may be a feasible supportive intervention for reducing stress and fatigue among intensive care nurses; however, larger multi-centre trials are needed to confirm these findings. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Remotely delivered meditation may offer an accessible and low-cost adjunct to staff well-being initiatives in intensive care settings, particularly for nurses working rotating shifts, but it should complement rather than replace organisational approaches to workforce well-being.