Other Titles
The Utility of the Moodfit App in Improving Self-Care Agency in Undergraduate Nursing Students [Title Slides]
Abstract
The prevalence of nursing burnout syndrome is estimated to range from 14 to 38% (Ge et al., 2023); North America has the highest rate at 38%. Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses found the global prevalence of burnout syndrome in nursing students ranging from 23 to 35% (Kong et al., 2023, Hernandez-Mariano et al., 2024). Arian and colleagues (2023) found student nurse burnout positively correlates with academic semester. As students progress through each term, burnout risk increases.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021) includes the demonstration of “…healthy, self-care behaviors that promote wellness and resiliency” (p.53) as an essential competency for entry level nurses, defining self-care as deliberate actions, typically taken without professional help, that support one’s mental or physical health.
A systematic review found that self-care mHealth tools, including smartphone apps, improve healthcare worker anxiety, stress, and depression through a variety of techniques (Askarizadeh et al., 2025). The American Nurses Foundation (ANF) provides access to the premium version of a self-care app, Moodfit as part of a nurse “well-being initiative” (ANF, 2020). In a study evaluating neonatal ICU nurse quality of life, Egami & Highfield (2023) found that after three weeks of Moodfit app use, secondary traumatic stress scores decreased, and participants reported an increase in the frequency of mindfulness practice. There are few published papers regarding self-care and self-care agency in nursing students.
The Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale - Revised (ASAS-R) was selected as the measurement tool for this project. This is a 15-item questionnaire that measures self-care agency based on Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory. Developed by Sousa et al. (2010), the scale measures three factors: having the capacity for self-care, developing the capacity for self-care, and lacking the capacity for self-care. The Cronbach alpha is reported to be 0.89, indicating strong reliability (Sousa et al., 2010).
Undergraduate nursing students (N=100) completing the first semester of a BSN program will be invited to participate in this study. After completing the ASAS-R, participants will receive a Moodfit Premium account, set goals, and select reminders. Instructors will ensure students have protected time for app use and bonus points for participation. After six weeks, participants will re-take the ASAS-R. Data analysis will compare pre and post scores.
Notes
Extensive reference list included in attached slide deck.
Sigma Membership
Pi Theta
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Quality Improvement
Research Approach
Translational Research/Evidence-based Practice
Keywords:
Stress/Coping, Psychological Stress, Coping, Stress Management, Implementation Science, Curriculum Development, Nursing Students, Professional Burnout, Nursing Students--Psychosocial Factors, Self Care, Mobile Applications--Utilization, Mobile Applications, Moodfit App
Recommended Citation
Young, Sarah C. and Patton, Susan, "Improving Undergraduate Nursing Student Self-Care Agency with the Moodfit App" (2026). Creating Healthy Work Environments (CHWE). 46.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/chwe/2026/presentations_2026/46
Conference Name
Creating Healthy Work Environments
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Washington, DC, USA
Conference Year
2026
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2026-04-28
Improving Undergraduate Nursing Student Self-Care Agency with the Moodfit App
Washington, DC, USA
The prevalence of nursing burnout syndrome is estimated to range from 14 to 38% (Ge et al., 2023); North America has the highest rate at 38%. Two systematic reviews and meta-analyses found the global prevalence of burnout syndrome in nursing students ranging from 23 to 35% (Kong et al., 2023, Hernandez-Mariano et al., 2024). Arian and colleagues (2023) found student nurse burnout positively correlates with academic semester. As students progress through each term, burnout risk increases.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (2021) includes the demonstration of “…healthy, self-care behaviors that promote wellness and resiliency” (p.53) as an essential competency for entry level nurses, defining self-care as deliberate actions, typically taken without professional help, that support one’s mental or physical health.
A systematic review found that self-care mHealth tools, including smartphone apps, improve healthcare worker anxiety, stress, and depression through a variety of techniques (Askarizadeh et al., 2025). The American Nurses Foundation (ANF) provides access to the premium version of a self-care app, Moodfit as part of a nurse “well-being initiative” (ANF, 2020). In a study evaluating neonatal ICU nurse quality of life, Egami & Highfield (2023) found that after three weeks of Moodfit app use, secondary traumatic stress scores decreased, and participants reported an increase in the frequency of mindfulness practice. There are few published papers regarding self-care and self-care agency in nursing students.
The Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale - Revised (ASAS-R) was selected as the measurement tool for this project. This is a 15-item questionnaire that measures self-care agency based on Dorothea Orem's Self-Care Deficit Theory. Developed by Sousa et al. (2010), the scale measures three factors: having the capacity for self-care, developing the capacity for self-care, and lacking the capacity for self-care. The Cronbach alpha is reported to be 0.89, indicating strong reliability (Sousa et al., 2010).
Undergraduate nursing students (N=100) completing the first semester of a BSN program will be invited to participate in this study. After completing the ASAS-R, participants will receive a Moodfit Premium account, set goals, and select reminders. Instructors will ensure students have protected time for app use and bonus points for participation. After six weeks, participants will re-take the ASAS-R. Data analysis will compare pre and post scores.
Description
This presentation will discuss the design of a study using the Moodfit mental fitness app to promote self-care and self-care agency in undergraduate nursing students. Self-care and self care agency will be measured pre and post intervention with the Appraisal of Self-Care Agency Scale-revised.