The Effect of Laughter Yoga on Individual and Organizational Outcomes in Nurse Managers

NCT ID: NCT07235735

Last Updated: 2025-11-19

Study Results

Results pending

The study team has not published outcome measurements, participant flow, or safety data for this trial yet. Check back later for updates.

Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

NOT_YET_RECRUITING

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

80 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2025-12-11

Study Completion Date

2026-03-17

Brief Summary

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The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if laughter yoga can improve both individual and organizational outcomes in nurse managers. The main questions it aims to answer are:

* Does laughter yoga lower burnout and stress levels in nurse managers?
* Does laughter yoga improve work-life quality and job performance?
* Does laughter yoga help nurse managers make better decisions and solve problems more effectively?
* Does laughter yoga lower compassion fatigue and support positive approaches to workplace conflict? Researchers will compare a laughter yoga group with a control group to see if there are meaningful differences.

Participants will:

* Join structured laughter yoga sessions for a defined period (weekly sessions).
* Complete surveys before and after the program about stress, burnout, work-life quality, decision-making, problem solving, job performance, compassion fatigue, and conflict approaches.
* Continue their usual work while attending sessions.

Detailed Description

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Nurse managers play a vital role in healthcare systems by ensuring the quality of nursing services, supporting staff, coordinating care, and solving organizational problems. However, the combination of administrative responsibilities, staff shortages, and high expectations often leads to stress, burnout, compassion fatigue, and difficulties in maintaining work-life balance. These conditions not only affect the individual health and well-being of nurse managers but also reduce team motivation, patient care quality, and overall organizational performance.

Laughter yoga is a mind-body practice that combines intentional laughter with breathing exercises. It does not rely on humor or jokes; instead, participants engage in guided group exercises that promote spontaneous and prolonged laughter. Scientific evidence suggests that laughter yoga can lower stress hormones, increase endorphins, improve mood, and strengthen social bonds. Although laughter yoga has been studied in various populations, there is a lack of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) specifically focusing on nurse managers and their professional challenges.

This randomized controlled trial aims to fill this gap by evaluating the individual and organizational outcomes of laughter yoga among nurse managers working in university and state hospitals.

The expected contribution of this study is to provide new evidence on a cost-effective, non-pharmacological intervention that can be easily integrated into hospital settings. If laughter yoga proves effective, it can be adopted as a sustainable strategy to support nurse managers' mental health, enhance their leadership capacity, and indirectly improve patient care and organizational outcomes.

Conditions

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Burnout, Professional Stress, Psychological Compassion Fatigue Quality of Life Decision Making Problem Solving Work Performance

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Primary Study Purpose

OTHER

Blinding Strategy

NONE

Study Groups

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Experimental: Laughter Yoga

Structured group-based laughter yoga sessions, 2 times per week, 30-45 minutes each, for 8 weeks.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Laughter Yoga Program

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

This intervention consists of a structured Laughter Yoga Program designed for nurse managers. Each session includes breathing exercises, warm-up activities, guided and simulated laughter exercises (such as clapping, chanting, role-play laughter), and a short relaxation/meditation phase. Sessions are conducted in small groups by a certified facilitator. The program is delivered twice weekly for 8 weeks, with each session lasting approximately 30-45 minutes. The intervention is intended to reduce burnout, stress, and compassion fatigue, while improving decision-making, problem-solving, job performance, and work-life balance.

Control

Participants continue their routine work duties without any additional intervention.

Group Type NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

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Laughter Yoga Program

This intervention consists of a structured Laughter Yoga Program designed for nurse managers. Each session includes breathing exercises, warm-up activities, guided and simulated laughter exercises (such as clapping, chanting, role-play laughter), and a short relaxation/meditation phase. Sessions are conducted in small groups by a certified facilitator. The program is delivered twice weekly for 8 weeks, with each session lasting approximately 30-45 minutes. The intervention is intended to reduce burnout, stress, and compassion fatigue, while improving decision-making, problem-solving, job performance, and work-life balance.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

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Laughter Therapy; Laughter Exercises

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

* Currently working as a nurse manager
* Having at least six months of managerial experience
* Continuing to serve as a nurse manager throughout the study period

Exclusion Criteria

* Having previously received laughter yoga training
* Use of medications affecting general health components during the study (e.g., for depression, anxiety)
* Being pregnant
* Experiencing an acute stressful life event, such as the death of a close relative
* Having undergone abdominal surgery within the past 6 months
Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sponsors

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Zonguldak Bulent Ecevit University

OTHER

Sponsor Role lead

Responsible Party

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SERPİL SUBAŞI ÇAĞLAR

lecturer in the department of nursing management

Responsibility Role PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Central Contacts

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Serpil SUBAŞI ÇAĞLAR, PhDCandidate

Role: CONTACT

+905321709457

Handan ALAN, Assoc.Prof.

Role: CONTACT

+905321709457

Related Links

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https://scholar.google.com.tr/scholar?hl=tr&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=Status+and+influencing+factors+of+work+stress+among+nurse+managers%3A+A+cross-sectional+study+in+China&btnG=

Yang, Z., Huang, H., \& Li, G. (2024). Status and influencing factors of work stress among nurse managers in western China: a cross-sectional survey study. BMC nursing, 23(1), 68.

https://scholar.google.com.tr/scholar?hl=tr&as_sdt=0%2C5&as_vis=1&q=The+effects+of+laughter+yoga+on+health-related+outcomes%3A+A+systematic+review.+Complementary+Therapies+in+Clinical+Practice&btnG=

Alici, N. K., \& Dönmez, A. A. (2020). A systematic review of the effect of laughter yoga on physical function and psychosocial outcomes in older adults. Complementary therapies in clinical practice, 41, 101252.

https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1570291225076829312

Ergin, C. (1992). Doktor ve hemsirelerde tukenmislik ve Maslach tukenmislik olceginin uyarlanmasi. VII. Ulusal Psikoloji Kongresi, 22th September 1992 Ankara (Turkey).

https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/yead/issue/21807/234392

Bağcı, Z. (2014). ÇALIŞANLARIN İŞ DOYUMUNUN GÖREV VE BAĞLAMSAL PERFORMANSLARI ÜZERİNDEKİ ETKİSİ. Yönetim ve Ekonomi Araştırmaları Dergisi, 12(24), 58-72.

https://www.turkiyeklinikleri.com/article/en-sefkat-yorgunlugu-olceginin-hemsireler-uzerinde-turkce-gecerlilik-ve-guvenilirligi-calismasi-metodolojik-arastirma-98273.html

UÇAR ÖZDEMİR, S., \& KOCA KUTLU, A. (2022). Şefkat Yorgunluğu Ölçeği'nin Hemşireler Üzerinde Türkçe Geçerlilik ve Güvenilirliği Çalışması: Metodolojik Araştırma. Turkiye Klinikleri Journal of Nursing Sciences, 14(2).

Other Identifiers

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Laughter Yoga

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id

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