Journal of Holistic Nursing
January 17, 2014
Cheryl L. Woods-Giscombé, Susan A Gaylord
194 citations
African Americans face higher rates of stress-related illnesses than European Americans. Fifteen African American adults with mindfulness meditation experience reported that the practice improved stress management, health, self-awareness, and purpose. They would recommend it and believed other African Americans would be open to it, but suggested adaptations: emphasize health benefits, link to familiar spiritual and cultural practices, include African American writers in reading materials, improve communication and support, and feature African American instructors and participants. With these culturally relevant adjustments, mindfulness meditation can be an effective therapeutic intervention for African Americans.
Journal of Holistic Nursing
February 26, 2007
Jennifer J. Runquist, Pamela G. Reed
97 citations
Among 61 sheltered homeless adults, spiritual perspective, self-transcendence, health status, and well-being were positively and significantly correlated. Fatigue was inversely correlated with health status and well-being. Self-transcendence and health status together explained 59% of the variance in well-being. The findings support Reed's theory of self-transcendence, which holds that people can integrate difficult life situations. Homeless individuals possess spiritual, emotional, and physical capacities that health care professionals can use to promote well-being.
Journal of Holistic Nursing
December 27, 2011
Gørill Haugan, Toril Rannestad, Helge Garåsen et al.
51 citations
Self-transcendence, the capacity to expand personal boundaries, is linked to well-being. This study examined the dimensionality of the Norwegian Self-Transcendence Scale in 202 cognitively intact elderly nursing home residents. Exploratory factor analysis yielded two- and four-factor solutions explaining 35.3% and 50.7% of variance, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis showed both models fit better than a one-factor model. The findings indicate self-transcendence is multifactorial; the two-factor model may be the most accurate measure. The research provides psychometric insights and raises questions about connections between self-transcendence and well-being.
Journal of Holistic Nursing
September 6, 2021
Rebecca H Lehto, Megan Miller, Jessica Sender
16 citations
Psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy shows promise for patients with cancer who experience persistent existential suffering, even when standard treatments have failed. A scoping review of eight studies found that most patients reported positive experiences, including themes of death acceptance, reflection, and broadened spirituality. The therapy, which uses a naturally occurring compound from certain mushrooms to induce an altered state of consciousness, is still in early clinical testing. Reed's Self-Transcendence Theory offers a framework for understanding existential concerns in patients facing life-threatening illness. Future work must tailor the intervention to select patients and involve clinicians in assessing outcomes.
Journal of Holistic Nursing
May 8, 2024
Wei-Ting Lai, Min‐Tao Hsu, Wan-Ru Chou et al.
4 citations
Palliative care professionals who practice mindfulness experience it not merely as a self-regulation technique but as an existential epiphany that fosters self-acceptance and new life experiences. Through in-depth interviews with eleven professionals—physicians, nurses, psychologists, and a spiritual care provider—two major themes emerged: first, the need for self-care amid emotional burden, including guilt, self-doubt, emotional contagion of grief, and reflections on their own fragility; second, the transformative impact of mindfulness, including reconnection with the body, shifts in personal values, self-acceptance, and liberation. Mindfulness offers hope for self-care and empowerment in this demanding field.
Journal of Holistic Nursing
February 25, 2022
Teressa M Wexler, J. Schellinger
An integrative review of 15 studies found that Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) may reduce perceived stress, burnout, and symptoms of depression and anxiety among practicing nurses. Sixty percent of the reviewed studies showed a significant effect of MBSR on decreasing stress. The review suggests that both abbreviated and full 8-week versions of MBSR can improve mental health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The authors recommend future studies with larger sample sizes and measures beyond self-reports to strengthen generalizability.
Journal of Holistic Nursing
May 17, 2021
Alyssa Green, Elizabeth Kinchen
Mindfulness meditation can reduce stress and burnout in nurses, who frequently face trauma, suffering, and heavy workloads. Evidence indicates that mindfulness-based interventions significantly lower stress, improve all aspects of burnout, and boost self-compassion and compassion satisfaction. The practice helps by decreasing self-judgment and overidentification with experience while increasing resilience, compassion, and emotional regulation. This critical review synthesizes peer-reviewed research on mindfulness-based stress reduction for nurses and identifies gaps in the literature, offering recommendations for future studies.
Journal of Holistic Nursing
December 1, 2016
Julie A. Hevezi
A pilot study of 15 oncology nurses found that practicing short, structured meditations (under 10 minutes) five days a week for four weeks led to a statistically significant increase in compassion satisfaction and decreases in burnout and secondary trauma. All participants also reported greater feelings of relaxation and well-being. The authors suggest that even brief meditation exercises can improve nurse outcomes and call for a larger study to track sustained effects.