This study aimed to determine the effects of laughter yoga on the perceived stress, burnout and life satisfaction of nurses working actively during the pandemic period. A total of 120 nurses, determined by power analysis, were included in the randomized controlled study. The study included 2 groups. (A group of nurses who have active contact with patients diagnosed with or at risk of covid-19, group B: nurses who have active contact with patients diagnosed with or at risk of covid-19 and participate in laughter yoga practice. Laughter yoga; immune system antibodies and endorphin hormone. It has been proven by experimental studies that there is a connection between the two, that it has a healing effect, that it accelerates the circulatory system as an adverse effect to stress, and that it has a vasodilation effect in the vessels.
The study data were collected by the researchers using online systems with the snowball method due to the pandemic. The inclusion criteria of the study (not having undergone abdominal surgery in the last three months, not having uncontrolled hypertension, not having glaucoma, hernia, epilepsy, not having received a psychiatric diagnosis-treatment, not having received a diagnosis-treatment for sleep problems, having done laughter yoga before) The study consisted of 100 nurses who agreed to participate in the study. Introductory features form consisting of 13 questions, Maslach Burnout Scale and Life Satisfaction Scale, Perceived Stress Scale and life satisfaction scale were used to collect data. Research data were collected in 3 months. During the study, 9 people from the experimental group (8 people did not attend the sessions regularly, 1 person left voluntarily), 10 people from the control group (he left voluntarily) quit the study. Finally, the research was completed with 101 nurses, 51 of whom were in the experimental group and 50 in the control group.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
101
In this study, 8 sessions of laughter yoga were applied to the nurses in the experimental group as an intervention, twice a week for 4 weeks. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic; Laughter Yoga sessions were held on the web through the 'ZOOM' program. For this reason, it is recommended that the laughter yoga sessions be done with a group and that the group should consist of at least five people in order to provide group dynamics. Sessions are planned according to the days and hours that nurses can attend. Sessions 1st group Monday-Thursday between 12:00-13:00; 2nd group Tuesday-Friday between 17:00-18:00; The third group was held on Wednesday-Saturday between 20:00-21:00. The nurses were constantly contacted (whatsapp, phone) to ensure that they attend the sessions regularly and that there is no interruption in the sessions. No experiment was performed on the control group during the study. However, after the research, a 4-week laughter yoga was given to the nurses who wanted it.
Tülay Kılınç
Erzurum, Palandöken, Turkey (Türkiye)
Introductory Information Form (questionnaire)
In this form prepared by the researchers; There are a total of 9 questions including age, gender, education level, marital status, working year, frequently worked shift, Covid-19 passing and being vaccinated, whether or not he has knowledge about laughter yoga.
Time frame: up to 2 weeks
Perceived Stress Scale
The scale, which was created in order to understand how stressful individuals perceive certain events they experience, consists of 14 items, graded in a 5-point Likert type. In the scale, 7 items containing positive statements are reverse scored. The score range of the scale ranges from 0 to 56, and a high score indicates a high level of stress. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.84. In this study, the Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient was found to be 0.75.
Time frame: up to 5 weeks]
Maslach Burnout Scale
The scale, consisting of 22 items and three sub-dimensions, is in the 5-point Likert type. The sub-dimensions of the scale are emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal achievement. Positive statements in the dimension of personal achievement are reverse coded. The high mean score of the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization sub-dimensions and low personal achievement mean scores indicate high burnout. The lowest score that can be obtained from the scale is 0 and the highest score is 88. The Cronhbach Alpha values of the scale were found to be 0.83 for emotional exhaustion, 0.65 for depersonalization and 0.72 for personal achievement.
Time frame: up to 5 weeks
Life Satisfaction Scale
There are 5 items in the scale, and each item is arranged according to a 7-point answer system. A score between 5-35 can be obtained from the scale. Higher scores indicate higher life satisfaction. The Cronbach Alpha value of the scale is .88. In this study, the Cronbach Alpha coefficient was found to be .87.
Time frame: up to 5 weeks
Perceived Stress Scale
The scale, which was created in order to understand how stressful individuals perceive certain events they experience, consists of 14 items, graded in a 5-point Likert type. In the scale, 7 items containing positive statements are reverse scored. The score range of the scale ranges from 0 to 56, and a high score indicates a high level of stress. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale was calculated as 0.84. In this study, the Cronbach alpha internal consistency coefficient was found to be 0.75.
Time frame: up to 5 weeks
Maslach Burnout Scale
The scale, consisting of 22 items and three sub-dimensions, is in the 5-point Likert type. The sub-dimensions of the scale are emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and personal achievement. Positive statements in the dimension of personal achievement are reverse coded. The high mean score of the emotional exhaustion and depersonalization sub-dimensions and low personal achievement mean scores indicate high burnout. The lowest score that can be obtained from the scale is 0 and the highest score is 88. The Cronhbach Alpha values of the scale were found to be 0.83 for emotional exhaustion, 0.65 for depersonalization and 0.72 for personal achievement.
Time frame: up to 5 weeks
Life Satisfaction Scale
There are 5 items in the scale, and each item is arranged according to a 7-point answer system. A score between 5-35 can be obtained from the scale. Higher scores indicate higher life satisfaction. The Cronbach Alpha value of the scale is .88. In this study, the Cronbach Alpha coefficient was found to be .87.
Time frame: up to 5 weeks
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