Feasibility and Effect of Reiki on the Physiology and Self-perceived Stress of Nurses in a Large US Hospital

Reiki intervention for supporting healthcare professional care behaviors in pediatric palliative care: A pilot study

OBJECTIVES

Pediatric healthcare professionals (HCPs) working in a palliative setting may experience challenges during their clinical practice in addressing the complex end-of-life phase of children and their families. Nurses, especially, have a frontline role in providing assistance, thereby becoming at risk of physical and psychological burden. Pediatric psychologists have an ethical responsibility to help colleagues by proposing self-care interventions that will improve their well-being and, indirectly, the work climate. This study investigated the impact of a complementary therapy, delivered by a pediatric psychologist and a nurse, on physical and psychological variables among nurses at the Paediatric Hospice of the Regina Margherita Children's Hospital in Italy.

METHODS

Thirty-five nurses participated in 5 weeks of Reiki sessions for an overall total of 175 sessions. The effect of the sessions was analyzed through a paired t-test analysis comparing the values of heart rate, oxygen saturation, and systolic and diastolic pressure collected before and after each session. The same test was conducted comparing the values of the 3 burnout subscales for each of the 35 nurses collected before the beginning of the first session with those collected at the end of the last session 2 months later.

RESULTS

Results underlined a positive short-term effect with a significant decrease in heart rate before and after each session (t = 11.5, p < .001) and in systolic pressure (t = 2, p < .05). In addition, a decrease in emotional exhaustion symptoms was found (t = 2.3, p < .05) at the end of the intervention.

SIGNIFICANCE OF RESULTS

Reiki could be a valid strategy to complement traditional pediatric psychology clinical practice designed to protect HCPs from emotional and physical demands and to create a more supportive workplace for staff and patients alike.

"Unaware and Unprepared": Experiences of Critical Care Nurses Providing End-of-Life Care; A Qualitative Study

Modern health care delivery incorporates technology to prolong life for those with serious illnesses. As technology continues to advance, the critical care nurses' role particularly at the end of life (EOL) continues to evolve, requiring higher levels of care. This contributes to an already complex environment for nurses to practice. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of critical care nurses in providing care for patients at EOL. This qualitative descriptive study describes the experience of 216 critical care nurses across the United States. Content analysis illuminated 5 themes: We Can't Fix Everyone, Task-Oriented Nursing, A Profession of Broken Individuals, Unaware and Unprepared, and A Hand to Hold. Study findings provide a unique perspective of critical care nurses and the health care delivery for patients and families at EOL. This study supports the imperative of creating and sustaining healthy work environments and palliative care education as essentials for critical care nurses who care for patients at EOL.

Evaluation of a Distance Reiki Program for Frontline Healthcare Workers' Health-Related Quality of Life During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background

Reiki is a biofield therapy which is based on the explanatory model that the fields of energy and information of living systems can be influenced to promote relaxation and stimulate a healing response.

Objective

To conduct a pragmatic within-subject pilot trial of a remote Reiki program for frontline healthcare workers' health-related symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

Healthcare professionals in the UK (eg, physicians, nurses, and paramedics) were eligible to sign up for a distance Reiki program and were also invited to participate in the research study. Eight Reiki practitioners simultaneously gave each participant Reiki remotely for 20 minutes on 4 consecutive days. Feasibility of the research was assessed, including recruitment, data completeness, acceptability and intervention fidelity, and preliminary evaluation of changes in outcome measures. Participants' stress, anxiety, pain, wellbeing, and sleep quality were evaluated with 7-point numerical rating scales. Measures were completed when signing up to receive Reiki (pre) and following the final Reiki session (post). Pre and post data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed ranks tests.

Results

Seventy-nine healthcare professionals signed up to receive Reiki and took the baseline measures. Of those, 40 completed post-measures after the 4-day intervention and were therefore included in the pre-post analysis. Most participants were female (97.5%), and the mean age was 43.9 years old (standard deviations = 11.2). The study was feasible to conduct, with satisfactory recruitment, data completeness, acceptability, and fidelity. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests revealed statistically significant decreases in stress (M = -2.33; P < .001), anxiety (M = -2.79; P < .001) and pain (M = -.79; P < .001), and significant increases in wellbeing (M = -1.79; P < .001) and sleep quality (M = -1.33; P = .019).

Conclusions

The Reiki program was feasible and was associated with decreased stress, anxiety and pain, and increased wellbeing and sleep quality in frontline healthcare workers impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.