The Effects of Self-administered Acupressure on Fatigue in Nursing Students: A Single-blind, Randomized, Sham-controlled Study.

CONTEXT: Intern nursing students are exposed to many stressors, such as preparing for theoretical courses, studying for exams, fearing that they may make mistakes in clinical practice, working under inappropriate conditions, fearing infection, and experiencing insomnia. The stressors in question can increase the students' level of fatigue. OBJECTIVE: The study intended to determine the effects of acupressure on nursing students' fatigue. DESIGN: The research team designed a prospective, two-arm (1:1), single-blinded, randomized controlled clinical trial. SETTING: The study took place in the Mersin University Faculty of Nursing in Mersin, Turkey. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 68 fourth-year nursing students at the university who were interns involved in almost all stages of patient care in clinical practice. INTERVENTION: The research team divided the participants into an acupressure group (n = 34), the intervention group, and an acupressure sham group (n = 34), the control group. Both groups performed self-acupressure three times a week for four weeks, for 12 sessions. OUTCOME MEASURES: Both groups completed a fatigue severity scale at baseline and postintervention after four weeks of therapy. RESULTS: The acupressure group's mean scores postintervention on the fatigue severity scale were significantly lower than those of the acupressure sham group (P < .001). Between baseline and postintervention, the acupressure group's fatigue levels had significantly decreased (P < .001). No significant change occurred in the acupressure sham group's fatigue levels between baseline and postintervention. CONCLUSIONS: Acupressure is a noninvasive, simple, safe, and complimentary and integrated method that nurses can apply independently to manage fatigue.