The Effect of Distance Reiki on State Test Anxiety and Test Performance: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Nursing Students

Abstract

Background: This randomized controlled, pretest-posttest intervention study examined the effect of distance reiki on state test anxiety and test performance. Method: First-year nursing students (n = 71) were randomized into two groups. One week before the examination, intervention group participants performed reiki remotely for 20 minutes for 4 consecutive days, and control group participants received no intervention. Results: The intervention group had lower posttest cognitive and psychosocial subscale scores than pretest scores (p >.05). The control group had a significantly higher mean posttest physiological subscale score than pretest score (p < .05). Final grade point averages were not significantly different between the intervention and control groups (p >.05). One quarter of the intervention group participants noted reiki reduced their stress and helped them perform better on the examination. Conclusion: Reiki is a safe and easy-to-practice method to help students cope with test anxiety.