Floatation Experience in Nurses and Physicians

Sponsor

Mercy Health Ohio (Other)

Overall Status

Enrolling by invitation

CT.gov ID

NCT05977894

Collaborator

(none)

Enrollment

Location

11.5

Anticipated Duration (Months)

4.3

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

The goal of this observational study is to monitor the floatation experience and continue the program as long as deemed important. The main question it aims to answer is: will inventory wellbeing scores increase according to the number of floatation sessions accrued? Nurses (registered, practitioner, and anesthetist) and physicians, employed at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Trauma Center, Mercy Health, will be welcomed to participate in the floatation experience. Participants will be given an option to complete the Wellbeing Inventory survey prior to each floatation session.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Burnout, Professional Negative Affect Positive Affect Wellbeing Burnout Psychological	Other: Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy

Detailed Description

The floatation program is a Mercy Health enterprise sponsored by the Mercy Health Mahoning Valley Foundation.The goal of this study is to monitor the floatation experience and continue the program as long as deemed important. The investigators hypothesize that inventory wellbeing scores will increase according to the number of floatation sessions accrued. Nurses (registered, practitioner, and anesthetist) and physicians, employed at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Trauma Center, Mercy Health, will be welcomed to participate in the optional floatation program in Warren, Ohio at no financial cost to them. They will become aware of floatation options through the Mercy Health Be Well wellness program. Floatation monitoring will include assessments of wellbeing, nonstress, and positive affect scores. Participants will be given an option to complete the Wellbeing Inventory survey prior to each floatation session. This will be a self-reporting anonymous process. The investigator will never know the identity of the participant.

Study Design

Study Type:

Observational

Anticipated Enrollment :

50 participants

Observational Model:

Cohort

Time Perspective:

Prospective

Official Title:

Wellbeing Monitoring During Sequential Reduced Environmental Stimulation-Floatation

Anticipated Study Start Date :

Aug 15, 2023

Anticipated Primary Completion Date :

Jul 31, 2024

Anticipated Study Completion Date :

Jul 31, 2024

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Nurses and physicians Nurses (registered, practitioner, and anesthetist) and physicians, employed at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Trauma Center, Mercy Health	Other: Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy During floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy), the participant enters a tank that is approximately 5 feet wide, 7 feet long and 5 feet high. The tank is filled with a 10 inch height of water containing enough Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) to create body buoyancy. The water temperature is 93.5 degrees F, an approximate equivalent for normal skin temperature. Ear plugs are used to mitigate sound and the tank is without light illumination to prevent visual stimulation. The sessions are typically 60 minutes in duration. The individual is "Floating-in Solitude, Darkness, Silence, and Thermal-Neutrality." This experience reduces external sensory nervous system input and creates an extraordinarily deep state of mental and physical relaxation. Other Names: Floatation-REST

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Nurses and physicians

Nurses (registered, practitioner, and anesthetist) and physicians, employed at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Trauma Center, Mercy Health

Other: Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy

During floatation-REST (Reduced Environmental Stimulation Therapy), the participant enters a tank that is approximately 5 feet wide, 7 feet long and 5 feet high. The tank is filled with a 10 inch height of water containing enough Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) to create body buoyancy. The water temperature is 93.5 degrees F, an approximate equivalent for normal skin temperature. Ear plugs are used to mitigate sound and the tank is without light illumination to prevent visual stimulation. The sessions are typically 60 minutes in duration. The individual is "Floating-in Solitude, Darkness, Silence, and Thermal-Neutrality." This experience reduces external sensory nervous system input and creates an extraordinarily deep state of mental and physical relaxation.

Other Names:

Floatation-REST

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Change in the inventory wellbeing score [Through study completion, an average of 1 year]
The sum of the positive affect and nonstress scores (range 11-55)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Change in the nonstress score [Through study completion, an average of 1 year]
The sum of the reverse-scored ratings for the 7 negative affect items (range 7-35)
Change in the positive affect score [Through study completion, an average of 1 year]
The sum of the ratings for the 4 positive affect items (range 4-20)