Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Jan-Feb;35(1):10-18.
doi: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000378.

Mindfulness Workshops Effects on Nurses' Burnout, Stress, and Mindfulness Skills

Affiliations

Mindfulness Workshops Effects on Nurses' Burnout, Stress, and Mindfulness Skills

Julia Sarazine et al. Holist Nurs Pract. 2021 Jan-Feb.

Abstract

Burnout decreases work performance and quality of care and can result in medical errors, lower patient satisfaction, and higher rates of turnover. A study of 68 000 registered nurses showed that 35% of hospital nurses were experiencing symptoms of burnout. A systematic review identified that mindfulness-based interventions for health care professionals reduced stress and burnout and increased self-compassion and general health. However, the authors determined that more high-quality research is needed. This study examined the impact of a 4-hour workshop on burnout syndrome, perceived stress, and mindfulness skills. The objective of this study was to determine whether a 4-hour mindfulness workshop was effective in reducing burnout and perceived levels of stress and increasing mindfulness. Nurses at a Midwest academic medical center were recruited through e-mail to attend a 4-hour mindfulness workshop. Participants completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey, Perceived Stress Scale, and Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised prior to the start of the workshop and 1 and 6 months after the workshop. The study design allowed for comparisons preintervention and postintervention. Of the 52 nurses who completed the baseline questionnaires, 94% were female with an average age of 38 years. Thirty-one percent completed the questionnaires at 1 month and 20 nurses at 6 months. At 1 month, nurses reported statistically significant decreased perceptions of stress (-2.31, P = .01) and emotional exhaustion (-4.78, P = .03). Mindfulness skills, personal accomplishment, and depersonalization improved but were not statistically significant. At 6 months, statistically significant findings included increased perceptions of mindfulness (2.50, P = .04), personal accomplishment (4.43, P = .04), and decreased emotional exhaustion (-6.21, P = .05). Perceptions of stress and depersonalization improved but were not statistically significant. In this study, nurses reported decreases in burnout and perceived stress and increases in mindfulness after attending a 4-hour mindfulness workshop. Further research is needed to determine the long-term impact of mindfulness-based training on nurses' burnout, stress, and mindfulness skills. The results of this study add to the body of literature that supports the benefits of mindfulness-based interventions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Dyrbye LN, Shanafelt TD, Sinsky CA, et al. Burnout among health care professionals: a call to explore and address this under recognized threat to safe, high-quality care. In: NAM Perspectives. Washington, DC: National Academy of Medicine; 2017. Discussion Paper No. 210. doi:10.31478/201707b.
    1. Letvak SA, Ruhm CJ, Gupta SN. Nurses' presenteeism and its effects on self-reported quality of care and costs. Am J Nurs. 2012;112(2):30–38. doi:10.1097/01.NAJ.0000411176.15696.f9.
    1. McHugh MD, Kutney-Lee A, Cimiotti JP, Sloane DM, Aiken LH. Nurses' widespread job dissatisfaction, burnout, and frustration with health benefits signal problems for patient care. Health Aff (Millwood). 2011;30(2):202–210. doi:10.1377/hlthaff.2010.0100.
    1. Ohler MC, Kerr MS, Forbes DA. Depression in nurses. Can J Nurs Res. 2010;42(3):66–82.
    1. Moss M, Good VS, Gozal D, Kleinpell R, Sessler CN. An official Critical Care Societies Collaborative statement—burnout syndrome in critical care health-care professionals: a call for action. Chest. 2016;150(1):17–26. doi:10.1016/j.chest.2016.02.649.

MeSH terms