Nature-themed recharge room lowers HCW stress, anxiety

Editor's Note

This study by nurse researchers at Hackensack Meridian Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Neptune, and Hackensack Meridian Health, Edison, New Jersey, finds that a nature-themed recharge room helped reduce healthcare worker (HCW) stress and anxiety.

A total of 160 HCWs who used the recharge room and 131 who completed questionnaires were included in the analysis. Most participants were females between ages 25 and 35, worked the morning shift, had 3 to 5 years of experience, preferred a water theme, and used the room for 10 minutes.

Among the findings:

• The mean stress preintervention score was 7.44 and the postintervention score was 7.17, not a statistically significant difference.
• The mean anxiety preintervention score was 14.17, and the postintervention score was 8.48, a statistically significant difference,
• Females working in the hospital for 1 to 5 years were physicians/residents, nursing support staff, and leaders with the highest mean stress and anxiety preintervention scores.
• The largest reduction in anxiety levels was noted in females working in the hospitals for 1 to 3 years and nursing support staff who used the room for 5 to 15 minutes with 2 or fewer people.

The researchers concluded that organizational leaders should offer psychological support programs, like the nature-themed recharge room, to help reduce HCW stress and anxiety.