The Effects of Mindfulness Meditation on Stress and Burnout in Nurses

Background: Occupational burnout related to stress in the workplace is experienced by nurses who are regularly confronted with trauma, suffering, and high workloads. Burnout can negatively impact patient care and have detrimental effects on nurses’ physical and mental health. Mindfulness-based stress reduction programs have been researched as a potential holistic intervention for reducing stress and burnout in nurses through cultivating present awareness, emotional regulation, and positive thinking.

Purpose: This critical review of the literature explores current knowledge on the effectiveness of mindfulness meditation on stress and burnout in nurses, examines gaps in the current literature, and provides recommendations for future research on this topic.

Methods: Search terms included mindfulness, meditation, mindfulness-based stress reduction , occupational stress, stress, burnout, and nurs*. Peer-reviewed research directly related to the impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction on nurses experiencing stress and/or burnout was reviewed.

Findings: Findings reveal evidence that mindfulness meditation is effective in decreasing stress and burnout in nurses. Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to significantly decrease stress, improve all aspects of burnout, and increase self-compassion and compassion satisfaction in practicing nurses.

Conclusions: Mindfulness meditation has the potential to decrease stress and burnout in nurses by decreasing self-judgment and overidentification with experience, and by increasing resiliency, compassion, and emotional regulation.