A Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Acute Care Nursing Staff: A Pilot Study.
Kent R Brouwer, Sheila Melander, Lee Anne Walmsley, James Norton, Chizimuzo Okoli
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association March 2024 DOI: 10.1177/08980101231181004 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pretest-posttest study with midpoint evaluation Pilot study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 31 |
| Population | Nursing staff from cardiovascular acute care units |
| Intervention | Mindfulness-based smartphone application |
| Dose | 5 minutes a day |
| Duration | 30 days |
| Measures | Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised, Perceived Stress Scale, Brief Resilience Scale |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Burnout Group/population Healing modalities Meditation/mindfulness Nurses basic Well-being |
| Key points | A mindfulness-based smartphone app used 5 minutes daily for 30 days was associated with significant reductions in perceived stress and personal burnout and increased mindfulness scores among 31 cardiovascular acute care nursing staff, while resilience scores did not change significantly. The authors conclude such apps may promote nurses' health and well-being and should be considered a self-care method. |
Abstract
Purpose:The purpose of this study was to determine if a mindfulness-based smartphone application, used for 5 minutes a day for 30 days, could address burnout among acute care nursing staff.
Methods: A pretest-posttest design with a midpoint evaluation was utilized. The sample included 31 nursing staff from cardiovascular acute care units. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Scale-Revised, Perceived Stress Scale, and Brief Resilience Scale were used to measure the impact of the intervention on participants.
Findings: In a repeated measures analysis, there were no statistically significant changes in scores on the Brief Resilience Scale across the three timeframes (F = 0.64, df = 1.42, p = .49). There were significant reductions over time for perceived stress (F = 10.56, df = 1.74, p = .002) and personal burnout (F = 11.8, df = 1.10, p = .007), and increased scores on mindfulness (F = 4.76, df = 1.57, p = .039).
Conclusions: The utilization of a mindfulness-based smartphone application may promote the health and well-being of cardiovascular nurses in acute care units. Mindfulness-based smartphone apps should be considered as a method of self-care, along with other holistic approaches to improve well-being.