Nurses' perceived stress and compassion following a mindfulness meditation and self compassion training
Marie Ann Mahon, Lorraine Mee, Denise Brett, Maura Dowling
Journal of Research in Nursing December 1, 2017 DOI: 10.1177/1744987117721596 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test design Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 64 |
| Population | Nurses working at three university teaching hospitals |
| Intervention | Mindfulness meditation |
| Duration | 6-week and 8-week intervention |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key findings | Mindfulness meditation training significantly reduced nurses' perceived stress and increased compassion scores, with a significant increase in compassion for nurses at one hospital. |
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.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Cancer patients (clinical intervention study) | 2003 | Mixed methods: scale development, correlational, quasi-experimental, laboratory, experience-sampling, and clinical intervention study | |
| Loving-kindness meditation increases social connectedness. | 2008 | Controlled laboratory experiment | |
| Mindfulness and mind-wandering: Finding convergence through opposing constructs. | 2012 | Two studies: correlational study and experimental study | |
| Mental Training Enhances Attentional Stability: Neural and Behavioral Evidence | 2009 | Experimental study | |
| Mindfulness meditation and substance use in an incarcerated population. Incarcerated population | 2006 | Quasi-experimental with treatment-as-usual control condition |
Citations in the library
Cited by 8
- Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on burnout, resilience and sleep quality among nurses: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Nursing July 1, 2025
- The effect of an in-person mindfulness program on compassion in nursing care among undergraduate nursing students BMC Nursing August 24, 2026
- Effects of an Online Meditation Programme on Stress and Fatigue in Critical Care Nurses: A Randomised Controlled Trial Nursing Critical Care July 30, 2026
- A Stress Management Tool in Nurses: Mindfulness- Based Stress Reduction Black Sea Journal of Health Science July 1, 2023
- The effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on the psychological well-being of nurses: A systematic review. Applied Nursing Research 2022
and 3 more in the library
Cites 14
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- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Health Care Professionals: Results From a Randomized Trial. International Journal of Stress Management May 1, 2005
- The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout Holistic Nursing Practice November 1, 2004
- The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout, Part II Holistic Nursing Practice 2005
- Association of psychological and physiological measures of stress in health‐care professionals during an 8‐week mindfulness meditation program: mindfulness in practice Stress and Health August 23, 2005
and 9 more in the library