The Effect of Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercises on Fatigue Severity and Sleep Quality in Emergency Department Nurses

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Progressive Muscle Relaxation Exercise

• Registration Number: NCT06859983
• Lead Sponsor: Mustafa Kemal University

Brief Summary

Emergency departments are critical units where patients with life-threatening conditions and acute illnesses receive rapid interventions. Nurses working in these units aim to provide the best possible healthcare by intervening with patients at high risk of life-threatening situations. However, long working hours, inadequate working conditions, high stress, and critical patient care often lead to physiological issues among nurses. Fatigue and insomnia, which are commonly linked to burnout, are among the most frequent physiological problems.

Insomnia is a condition characterized by poor and irregular sleep patterns occurring within a 24-hour period due to disruption of the circadian rhythm. Chronic insomnia, if persistent, triggers fatigue. Fatigue is a subjective condition that, when prolonged, negatively affects nurses' daily activities and reduces job performance. Moreover, increasing fatigue has significant adverse effects on alertness, attention, judgment, and mood. These effects can lead to accidents, errors in practice, and injuries.

Detailed Description

Progressive relaxation exercises reduce blood levels of epinephrine and norepinephrine, oxygen consumption, blood pressure, metabolic rate, heart rate, muscle tension, lactic acid levels, pain and fatigue. On the other hand, concentration increases endorphin release, reduces insomnia and provides mental well-being. When the literature was examined, progressive relaxation exercise practices were performed on patients with rheumatoid arthritis and it was determined that there were positive effects on insomnia and fatigue levels in patients at the end of a six-week period. In another study evaluating the effectiveness of progressive relaxation exercise in dialysis patients, it was found that the fatigue level of the patients decreased. Again, when the literature was examined, two studies evaluating the effectiveness of progressive relaxation exercise on intensive care nurses were found in our country. In these studies conducted with intensive care nurses, it was reported that progressive relaxation exercises had a positive effect on fatigue.

In line with our research, no study was found to examine the effect of progressive relaxation exercises applied to nurses working in the emergency department on fatigue severity and sleep quality.

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Study Timeline

• Status Verified: 2025-02
• Study First Submitted: 2025-02-28
• Study First Submitted QC: 2025-02-28
• Study Start: 2025-03-01
• Study First Posted: 2025-03-05
• Primary Completion: 2025-03-08
• Study Completion: 2025-05-01
• Last Update Submitted: 2025-05-01
• Last Update Posted: 2025-05-02

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 35

Inclusion Criteria

• Working in the emergency service unit,
• No psychiatric disorder,
• Can do progressive relaxation exercises,
• Apply progressive relaxation exercises for one month,
• No disease that prevents progressive relaxation exercise,

Exclusion Criteria

• Nurses who do not meet the inclusion criteria will be excluded from the study.

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: SINGLE_GROUP

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Nurse Introductory Information Form	he necessary evaluation will be made at the end of the first week.	The data collection form consists of 12 statements developed by the researchers as a result of the literature review, questioning age, gender, educational status, marital status, working time in the profession, working style, sleep quality and fatigue.
Fatigue Severity Scale	The necessary evaluation will be made at the end of the first week.	The scale developed by Krup (1989) consists of nine items assessing the general effect of fatigue on daily activities. The Turkish validity and reliability of the scale was performed by Armutlu et al. In the scale, individuals are asked to rate the fatigue they felt during the past week from 1 to 7. Each section is scored between 1 (strongly disagree) and 7 (strongly agree) (add 2 to 6). The total score is calculated by averaging the nine items. The cut-off value for pathological fatigue is set at 4 and above. The lower the total score, the lower the fatigue. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.94 in the study of Armutlu et al.
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index	The necessary evaluation will be made at the end of the first week.	expressed in a single item, while others are expressed in a group of several items. Each item score ranges from "0" to "3". The total PDQI score is between 0 and 21. A score above 5 indicates that the sleep quality of the individual is poor. The Cronbach alpha value of the scale was found to be 0.80 in the study of Ağargün et al.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Nurse Introductory Information Form	The necessary evaluation will be made at the end of the first week.	The data collection form consists of 12 statements developed by the researchers as a result of the literature review, questioning age, gender, educational status, marital status, working time in the profession, working style, sleep quality and fatigue.
Fatigue Severity Scale	The necessary evaluation will be made at the end of the second week.	The scale developed by Krup (1989) consists of nine items assessing the general effect of fatigue on daily activities. The Turkish validity and reliability of the scale was performed by Armutlu et al. In the scale, individuals are asked to rate the fatigue they felt during the past week from 1 to 7. Each section is scored between 1 (strongly disagree) and 7 (strongly agree) (add 2 to 6). The total score is calculated by averaging the nine items. The cut-off value for pathological fatigue is set at 4 and above. The lower the total score, the lower the fatigue. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.94 in the study of Armutlu et al.
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index	The necessary evaluation will be made at the end of the second week.	The scale developed by Krup (1989) consists of nine items assessing the general effect of fatigue on daily activities. The Turkish validity and reliability of the scale was performed by Armutlu et al. In the scale, individuals are asked to rate the fatigue they felt during the past week from 1 to 7. Each section is scored between 1 (strongly disagree) and 7 (strongly agree) (add 2 to 6). The total score is calculated by averaging the nine items. The cut-off value for pathological fatigue is set at 4 and above. The lower the total score, the lower the fatigue. Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the scale was 0.94 in the study of Armutlu et al.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Hatay Mustafa Kemal University; 🇹🇷 Hatay, Turkey