The effects of foot reflexology treatment on work stress and anxiety levels of nursing managers

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Nursing managers’ stress and anxiety can have a detrimental impact on their management procedures, ultimately affecting the quality of healthcare services provided. Hence, it is crucial to address these issues effectively. This study aimed to determine the effects of foot reflexology on nursing managers’ work stress and anxiety levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study sample in three hospitals included 63 nursing managers, 32 in the control and 31 in the experimental groups. The data were collected via an information form, the job stress scale, and the state anxiety scale used as pre-test, post-test and retention tests. The nursing managers in the experimental group received eight-foot reflexology sessions. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference between the pre-test work stress and state anxiety mean scores of the nurses in the experimental and the control groups (p>0.05), but the post-test work stress and state anxiety mean scores of the nursing managers in the experimental group after foot reflexology were statistically significantly lower than in the control group (p<0.001). The nursing managers’ post- test mean job stress and state anxiety scores in the experimental group were lower than their pre-test and retention test mean scores (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The application of foot reflexology reduced the nursing managers’ work stress levels and state anxiety, but the positive effects disappeared when the application was not continued. Regular applications of reflexology and teaching it to healthcare professionals for their own practice may ensure the continuity of stress management.