Population, sample, inclusion and exclusion criteria
The population consisted of nursing workers with stress symptoms, of both sexes, active in their position, admitted for more than 90 days, of any work shift, allocated in inpatient units for clinical and surgical patients, sectors chosen because they have similar characteristics in terms of infrastructure and the type of patient treated at this institution, since beds are arranged by line of care, admitting surgical patients in clinical units and vice versa. It was decided not to include sectors dedicated to hospital admission of patients with COVID-19l in order to reduce risk of bias.Professionals on prolonged leave (social security benefit and pregnancy or lactation leave), on vacation, who had returned less than 15 days after such leave, with a pacemaker or heart rhythm pathologies, who started psychotropic medication or with cardiological alterations throughout the study, who did not complete all meetings or even those who were transferred to sectors that were not part of the survey were excluded.Sample calculation was carried out with the support of a statistician, based on a study that showed a difference in stress levels immediately after the intervention (Cohen’s d= -0.33) as well as six weeks after the intervention (Cohen’s d= -0.68)Considering the aforementioned criteria, 168 nursing professionals were selected. A total of 40 were excluded before randomization; 128 were randomized; 13 were excluded after randomization, ending with 58 in IG and 57 in CG (
