"I seemed calmer, clearer, and better able to react to challenging situations": phenomenological reflections on learning about mindfulness in health professions education.
Elizabeth Anne Kinsella, Kirsten Sarah Smith, Allison Chrestensen
Advances in health sciences education : theory and practice September 9, 2024 DOI: 10.1007/s10459-024-10363-x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Health professions students enrolled in a mindfulness elective course at a Canadian university |
| Intervention | Mindfulness practices |
| Topics | Anxiety Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Learning Curriculum Students, health occupations Canada Female Covid-19 Stress Burnout Health professions education |
| Key findings | The authors argue that health professions students' reflections on learning and using mindfulness in an elective course revealed four themes: reframing perceptions, 'being' while 'doing', witnessing the struggle, and compassion for self and others. They suggest mindfulness may help students navigate challenges, though it is not a panacea for systemic issues. |
Abstract
It is widely acknowledged that healthcare practitioner well-being is under threat, as many factors like excessive workloads, perceived lack of organizational support, the rapid introduction of new technologies, repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, and other factors have transformed the health care workplace. Distress, anxiety and burnout are on the rise, and are particularly concerning for health professions' students who must navigate challenging academic and clinical demands, in addition to personal responsibilities. While not a panacea for the systemic issues at play, 'mindfulness practices' have shown some promise in supporting students to navigate stressful environments. Yet despite calls for more phenomenological studies, little is known about health professions students' lived experiences of learning about and using mindfulness in higher education contexts. The objective of this hermeneutic phenomenological study was to inquire into the first-hand lived experiences of health professions students by examining their written reflections on learning about and using mindfulness in a higher education context. The study reports on themes identified in an analysis of students' phenomenological reflections written during and following a mindfulness elective course offered at a Canadian University. The analysis revealed four predominant themes: (a) reframing perceptions, (b)'being' while 'doing', (c) witnessing the struggle, and (d) compassion for self and others. In a time when health professionals are increasingly under strain, and systemic reform is needed but slow to take shape, the findings of this study reveal potential affordances of mindfulness for helping students to navigate the myriad of challenges they face. The findings are unique in their in-depth exploration of students' reflections on the experience of learning about and engaging in 'mindfulness practices' in a higher education context. The findings contribute first-hand perspectives to the evolving field of mindfulness education research and generate new conversations about mindfulness education in the health professions curriculum.
Comparable studies
Other qualitative studies on meditation, most cited first.
Citations in the library
Cites 16
- Mindfulness Interventions Annual Review of Psychology September 30, 2016
- Mindfulness: diverse perspectives on its meaning, origins, and multiple applications at the intersection of science and dharma Contemporary Buddhism May 1, 2011
- Teaching mindfulness in medical school: where are we now and where are we going? Medical Education July 10, 2013
- Loving‐Kindness Meditation and Empathy: A Wellness Group Intervention for Counseling Students Journal of Counseling & Development June 9, 2016
- Being Mindful about Mindfulness: An Invitation to Extend Occupational Engagement into the Growing Mindfulness Discourse Journal of Occupational Science September 28, 2011
and 11 more in the library