Effect of Nature-Themed Recharge Room on Healthcare Workers' Level of Stress and Anxiety.

Abstract

Objective: To determine if there is a difference in stress and anxiety before and after the use of the nature-themed recharge room.

Background: Psychological support measures have been noted to be relevant to nurses; however, the effect of the pandemic on the healthcare workers' emotional and psychological well-being led to urgent calls to implement psychological support measures more widely.

Methods: The study utilized a 1-group pretest and posttest design. One hundred sixty hospital employees utilized the recharge room, with 131 completed questionnaires counted in the data analysis. Data were collected using the demographic form, Perceived Stress Scale, and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory.

Results: Most participants were between 25 and 35 years old, female, worked the morning shift, had 3 to 5 years of experience, preferred a water feature theme, and used the room for 10 minutes. The mean stress preintervention score was 7.44, and postintervention score was 7.17, with the difference not statistically significant. The mean anxiety preintervention score was 14.17, and postintervention score was 8.48, with the difference statistically significant at a P < 0.05. Females working in the hospital for 1 to 5 years were physicians/residents, nursing support staff, and leaders with the highest mean stress (4-item Perceived Stress Scale) and anxiety (6-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) preintervention scores. Comparing the preintervention and postintervention anxiety levels, the highest reduction was noted among females working in the hospital for 1 to 3 years and nursing support staff who have used the room for 5 to 15 minutes with 2 or fewer people.

Conclusion: Organizational leaders should offer psychological support programs, such as the nature-themed recharge room, to help reduce the healthcare workers' stress and anxiety.