Feasibility and Preliminary Outcomes of the "Naru" Program, a Reiki-Informed Meditative Intervention for First-Year Nursing Students: A Single-Group Pilot Study.

Authors

Nuno Filipe De Oliveira Gil Salgado, Tereza Maria Mendes Diniz De Andrade Barroso, Maria Isabel Dias Marques, Maria Angélica De Almeida Peres

Published in

Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association. Pages 8980101261488093. Sep 30, 2026. Epub Sep 30, 2026.

Abstract

PurposeTo assess the feasibility and acceptability of the "Naru" Program, a Reiki-informed meditative intervention for first-year nursing students, and to estimate pre-post change in distress and well-being.DesignSingle-group pretest-posttest pilot feasibility study.MethodsInformed by Transitions Theory and holistic nursing, a seven-session hybrid program combined the spiritual precepts of Reiki with Joshin Kokyu Ho breathing meditation and guided imagery; five mental health nurses appraised its content. Of 413 students invited, 61 were screened, 29 eligible, 22 started, and 12 completed. Feasibility outcomes were uptake, retention, adherence, and acceptability; distress and well-being were assessed with the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales - 21 and the Psychological Well-Being Manifestation Measure Scale, with Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.FindingsThe program was delivered as designed and well received: participants reproduced the meditation independently, some during clinical placements. Uptake was 14.8% and retention 54.5%; attrition concentrated at year-end. Distress decreased and well-being increased on all retained subscales, with large effect sizes and bootstrap intervals excluding zero for all but one measure; reliable improvement was most frequent in well-being and happiness.ConclusionsDelivery and acceptability were established; recruitment and retention were not, and require changes to timing and recruitment before a controlled trial. Efficacy cannot be inferred.

PMID:
42813884
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 30 Sep 2026.

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