The Effect of a Mindfulness-Based Class on Mindfulness, Achievement Emotions, Emotion Regulation, and Empathy in Nursing Students.

Background/Objectives: While the benefits of mindfulness are well-documented, limited research has examined its specific impact on achievement emotions, emotion regulation, and empathy among nursing students. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a mindfulness-based class on mindfulness, achievement emotions, emotion regulation, and empathy in nursing students.

Methods: A one-group, pretest-posttest design was employed. The participants were 93 second-year nursing students enrolled in a 15-week mindfulness-based class at a university in South Korea during the second semester of 2024. Self-reported measures of mindfulness, achievement emotions, emotion regulation, and empathy were collected at the beginning and end of the semester. Paired t-tests were conducted to compare the differences in study variables before and after the course.

Results: The mindfulness-based class was significantly associated with increases in nursing students' mindfulness, positive achievement emotions, reappraisal, and empathy, and decreases in negative emotions. Suppression showed no significant change.

Conclusions: The findings indicate that mindfulness training can enhance emotional well-being and empathy, contributing to nursing students' personal and professional growth. This highlights the potential benefits of integrating mindfulness education into nursing curricula to strengthen students' resilience and improve patient-centered care.