The effect of chair massage on stress perception of hospital bedside nurses

Summary Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of a 10 min chair massage on the stress perception of hospital nurses in comparison to a routine “coffee break” during a working shift. Methods Eighty-two bedside nurses, ( M = 4 ; F = 7 8 ), mean age of 34.77±9.32, within a small, suburban hospital, participated in this study to determine the effect a 10-min on-site chair massage ( n = 4 1 ) had on their stress perception in comparison to a 10-min “coffee break” ( n = 4 1 ). The feasibility of incorporating a massage into their workload during a shift was also considered. Using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), stress perception was assessed in an experimental pre-test–post-test design and analyzed using t-tests for dependent samples. Results Stress perception was significantly lower in the massage group ( P . 0 5 ) and was not significantly changed in the control group. Also, 86% of the nurses scheduled to participate in the study were able to do so within their normal workday. Conclusion Incorporating chair massage into a nurse's hospital shift is feasible and a 10 min session reduces the stress perception of the nurse more so than the standard “coffee break”. This study focused on a one-time intervention for the 82 nurses enrolled. Further study on the longer term feasibility and effects of chair massage on this population and others in high stress professions is warranted.