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. 2025 Jun 19:11:23779608251350912.
doi: 10.1177/23779608251350912. eCollection 2025 Jan-Dec.

Effect of a Nurse-Led Teaching Program on Sleep Disturbances and Pain Experiences Among Patients With Fibromyalgia

Aziza Ibrahim Abd El Kader  1   2 , Rasha Hafez Ramadan El-Shaboury  3 , Rehab Fouad Abd Elkodoos  1 , Hend Reda Ali Elkest  4 , Nermen Abdelftah Mohamed  5   6
Affiliations

Effect of a Nurse-Led Teaching Program on Sleep Disturbances and Pain Experiences Among Patients With Fibromyalgia

Aziza Ibrahim Abd El Kader et al. SAGE Open Nurs. .

Abstract

Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition causing widespread pain in the muscles and bones, frequently occurring alongside fatigue, sleep problems, cognitive difficulties, and mood disorders.

Objective: This study investigates the effectiveness of a nurse-led teaching program on sleep disturbances and pain experiences among patients with fibromyalgia.

Methods: A quasi-experimental with pretest and posttest measures was implemented in this study. Sixty patients with fibromyalgia were included in the sample, divided equally into a study group and a control group (30 patients each). The study took place at the rheumatology outpatient clinic of Mansoura University Hospital, Egypt from June 1, 2024, to December 31, 2024. The program consisted of 24 consecutive sessions, each lasting ∼20-30 min for 12 weeks. Researchers used three tools to collect data; Demographics Form, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).

Results: The two groups exhibited no statistically significant differences. across all demographic characteristics (p > .05), except for place of residence (p = .0383). Prior to the program, independent samples t-tests revealed that there were no statistically significant differences in mean PSQI and VAS scores between the two groups. However, after the program, there was a statistically significant difference in mean PSQI scores (p = .009) and VAS scores (p = .05) between groups.

Conclusion: A nurse-led teaching program can be a valuable nonpharmacological intervention for managing sleep disturbances and pain in patients with fibromyalgia, highlighting the crucial role of nurses in empowering patients with self-management strategies.

Keywords: fibromyalgia; nurse-led intervention; pain; sleep disturbances; teaching program.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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