Using Mindfulness to Decrease Burnout and Stress among Nurses Working in High Intensity Areas

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ABSTRACT Background: The practice of Mindfulness has demonstrated promise for increasing self-care among nurses experiencing work-related stress and burnout. Programs based in the art of mindfulness have been shown to improve feelings of burnout, perceived stress levels, and self care among healthcare professionals. Aim: To introduce a 4-week mindfulness based program to nurses working in high intensity environments at a Fayetteville Veteran Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) in southeastern United States. The goal of the project was to determine how mindfulness practice influenced experiences of (1) burnout (2) self-care, and (3) perceived stress levels among nurses at the VAMC. Methods: A quality improvement project applying a 4-week Mindfulness Based Stress Management program was initiated among a cohort of 20 nurses working in identified high intensity areas of the hospital such as the inpatient psychiatric unit, the urgent care/emergency department, and the intensive care unit. Results: Upon completion of the 4-week project, nurses reported improvement in burnout and stress, as well as increased acts of self-care. These improvements were measured utilizing the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Perceived Stress Scale-4, and the Mindfulness Self-Care Scale. Conclusions: Findings suggest that the implementation of a mindfulness based program can improve the health and well-being of nurses working in high intensity areas a Veterans Administration Medical Center setting.

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