Nurses' perceived stress and compassion following a mindfulness meditation and self compassion training

A pilot study using a quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design examined the effects of a mindfulness meditation intervention on nurses' perceived stress and compassion. Among 90 nurses at three university teaching hospitals, 64 completed both pre- and post-intervention scales. Perceived stress was significantly reduced after the intervention. Compassion scores increased, with a significant finding for nurses at one hospital. No significant differences emerged between 6-week and 8-week interventions. The results suggest mindfulness meditation training can positively impact perceived stress and enhance compassion in nurses.

Study at a glance

Abstract

This pilot study explored the effects of a mindfulness meditation intervention on nurses’ perceived stress and compassion. A quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design was used. Nurses ( n = 90) working at three university teaching hospitals completed the Perceived Stress Scale and Compassion Scale at the beginning of the training and 64 completed the scales at the end of the training. The 64 matched data sets were analysed using the t -test, chi-square test and analysis of variance. The findings indicated that the nurses’ perceived stress was significantly reduced after the intervention. Notably, compassion scores were increased after the intervention, and this finding was significant for nurses working at one of the hospitals. There were no significant differences between results from a 6-week and an 8-week mindfulness intervention. The results suggest that mindfulness meditation training can impact positively on nurses’ perceived stress and also enhance nurses’ compassion. Mindfulness may well be a suitable self-care, stress-management intervention that can effectively teach nurses coping skills to assist them in managing the daily stressors inherent in their home and work life.