A Randomized Control Study on the Effectiveness of Holistic Health Practice Program on a Group of Baccalaureate Nursing Students

Background: From adolescents transitioning into professional healthcare team members, nursing students need to face different kinds of challenges during their journey of nursing study. Are nursing students ready and prepared to take care of themselves before taking care of others? Aim: Few studies were found on the holistic health of nurses in Macao. This study aims to explore the health status of a group of first-year undergraduate nursing students and to investigate whether a holistic health practice program can enhance their holistic health, self-esteem, and self-efficacy after they participate in the program. Methods: A randomized control study was used. Students in both the experimental and control groups filled in an online pre-test questionnaire, which consisted of some demographic information and the following measurement tools including, the Health Promotion Lifestyle Profile-II (HPLP-II), the Self-Esteem Scale (ESTEEM), and the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES). The experimental participants had to undergo an additional 6-sessions program on holistic health practice. After the intervention, all participants in both groups were invited to complete an online post-test questionnaire, which was the same as the one used in pre-study. Results: Results showed that participants’ physical activity was the lowest score in 6 domains, followed by their health responsibility. On the other hand, their spiritual growth scored the highest. The study found that participants who had attended the holistic health practice program had significantly enhanced their holistic health, self-esteem, and self-efficacy. Conclusion: This study provided some ground data of the holistic health status of nursing students in Macao. It also demonstrated that the Holistic Health Practice Program is effective in promoting holistic health, self-esteem, and self-efficacy among junior nursing students.