title: The effect of guided imagery upon first semester nursing students performing their first injections.
abstract: This study examined the effect of guided imagery upon the anxiety of baccalaureate nursing students learning to perform their first injections. The quasi-experimental post test design used a treatment (imagery) group and a control group of subjects who were first semester undergraduate students. Anxiety was measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Biodot stress dots, performance time, and performance score. Analyses of covariance were performed on the post treatment STAI scores, performance times, and performance scores. A Kruskal-Wallis was performed on post treatment Biodot stress dot reading. Results indicated statistically significant lower anxiety levels by self-report (STAI), p = .008, in the experimental group. No statistically significant differences were found in the Biodot stress dot readings, p = .6777, performance times, p = .130, or performance scores, p = .774. The significance of the findings is that if guided imagery reduces self-reported anxiety levels in nursing students, introduction of this teaching strategy early in the curriculum may be beneficial to students.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Wichita State University, KS 67208.
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Speck
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007092:Imagination; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000451:nursing*; D008297:Male; D016294:Models, Nursing; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards