The Effects of Guided Imagery on Nursing Students Performing Intramuscular Injections

Suk, Min Hyun; Kil, Suk Yong; Park, Hye Ja

Abstract

PURPOSE: The anxiety and stress of nursing students on performance intramuscular injection diminished nursing skill performance. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of the guided imagery program on anxiety, stress and nursing skill performance of nursing students. METHOD: The study design was time series with a nonequivalent control group pretest- posttest study. The Data were collected from the 30th of Oct. to the 6th of Nov. 2001. The objects of this study were 36 sophomores of university(18 for the experimental group, 18 for the control group). The Instruments used in this study were State Trait Anxiety Inventory developed by Spielberger (1972), Visual Analogue Scale for Stress and Nursing skill performance developed by the researcher. The guided imagery was provided through audiotapes to the subjects for 8 minutes. The pretest was given before the therapy to measure variables for both groups and the posttests were performed after intervention. The data were analyzed by the SAS program using t-test and paired t-test. RESULT: The results of this study are as follows. The level of anxiety of students who received the guided imagery were significantly lower than that of control group. the level of stress had a deeling tendency and the nursing skill performance level was significantly higher than that of control group.
CONCLUSION
The guided imagery suggested as an effective nursing intervention did reduce the anxiety and promoted nursing skill performance of nursing students.