The effects of a restorative intervention on undergraduate nursing students' capacity to direct attention.

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a restorative intervention on undergraduate nursing students' capacity to direct attention. METHOD Kaplan and Kaplan's attention restoration theory, which describes and links concepts of directed attention, attention fatigue, and restorative environments, formed the theoretical basis for this research. A convenience sample consisted of 33 students randomly assigned to nonintervention and intervention groups. The intervention was a 1-hr walk in natural surroundings. Both groups completed study instruments prior to and following the intervention. FINDINGS Intervention group students scored higher on a measure of quality of life at posttest (p < .05). Differences in a measure of perceived attention were not observed between groups over time. Both groups improved on other measures of attention; however, the results did not provide support for the hypotheses. CONCLUSION Students were a highly functioning group participating in many activities they considered restorative, prior to the study.