A feasibility study of a cognitive behavioral based stress management intervention for nursing students: results, challenges, and implications for research and practice

BACKGROUND: Stress related psychological problems are growing in nursing education and constitute an essential challenge for educators. This makes research about strategies and interventions to meet these problems important. Stress management interventions need to be tested for feasibility and acceptability, before conducting large scale RCTs. The objective of our study was to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a newly developed cognitive behavioral stress management intervention for nursing students. METHODS: Data were collected using a combination of standardized measurements and newly created questionnaires in combination with qualitative data. Our data included recruitment capability, sample characteristics, intervention acceptability and preliminary evaluation of participant psychological changes. RESULTS: Findings suggested that the feasibility of conducting a full-scale evaluation was confirmed for intervention acceptability, data collection procedures, and adherence. However, difficulties relating to recruitment capability and homework were identified. All aspects taken together, the intervention was found feasible and acceptable to nursing students, and thus a potential stress management intervention for the nurse education context. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study provides an insight into the challenges and complexities of developing and evaluating a new brief cognitive behavioral based stress management training intervention in a nurse education setting. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12912-021-00761-6.