Mindfulness Rx: Affecting Stress Using a Mindfulness App for Nursing Faculty and Students

Nursing students and faculty have reported increased stress and depression levels since the COVID-19 pandemic. Chronic stress and depression have adverse health effects, including lowered immune function, increased headaches, and sleep disturbances. Stress and depression also negatively impact academic and workplace performance. Mindfulness-based interventions such as meditation are a way to manage stress and depression. Studies have shown that meditation can improve mental health outcomes, decrease stress, decrease depression, and decrease burnout. This study aims to: 1.) measure stress, depression, and self-compassion in pre-licensure nursing students and nursing faculty, 2.) encourage the use of Smiling Mind, a mindfulness app, over six weeks, 3.) measure the effect of the mindfulness app on stress, depression, and self-compassion. The goal of this study is to see if mindfulness apps are a viable solution to decrease stress and depression in nursing students and faculty significantly.