Effectiveness of a Mindful Compassion Care Program in reducing burnout and psychological distress amongst frontline hospital nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Luca Bodini, Chiara Bonetto, Simone Cheli, Lidia del Piccolo, Michela Rimondini, Alberto Rossi, Angela Carta, Stefano Porru, Francesco Amaddeo, Antonio Lasalvia
Trials September 2, 2022 DOI: 10.1186/s13063-022-06666-2 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Randomized controlled trial protocol Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 72 |
| Population | Frontline nurses who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, recruited from Verona University Hospital Trust, Veneto Region, north-east Italy |
| Intervention | Mindfulness and compassion-focused programme |
| Measures | Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS), Cynicism subscale of the MBI-GS, Professional Efficacy subscale of the MBI-GS, Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Impact of Stressful Events (IES-R), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), Forms of Self-Criticising/attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS) |
| Citations | 14 |
| Registration | NCT05308537 |
| Key findings | The protocol proposes a parallel-group randomized controlled trial to assess the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a mindfulness and compassion-focused programme for frontline nurses who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic, with emotional exhaustion as the primary outcome. The authors state the study aims to fill a gap in the literature and offer a scientifically validated intervention for healthcare professionals most exposed to pandemic-related stress. |
Abstract
Background: Recent studies have shown that nurses have been more affected by the COVID-19 pandemic than any other group of hospital workers in terms of anxiety, depression, and burnout. Several clinical studies had previously demonstrated the effectiveness of mindfulness and compassion interventions in reducing burnout and emotional distress amongst healthcare professionals.
Methods: AND ANALYSIS: A parallel-group randomized controlled trial will assess the feasibility, acceptability, and efficacy of a mindfulness and compassion-focused programme on frontline nurses who had been working during the COVID-19 pandemic. Seventy-two participants will be recruited from Verona University Hospital Trust (Veneto Region, north-east Italy) and will be divided equally into an intervention group and a control group. Primary outcome will be assessed using the Emotional Exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory General Survey (MBI-GS). Secondary outcomes will be measured by the Cynicism and Professional Efficacy subscales of the MBI-GS, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), the Impact of Stressful Events (IES-R), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and the Forms of Self-Criticising/attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale (FSCRS).
Discussion: The study aims to fill a gap in the literature and present a scientifically validated intervention for those healthcare professionals most exposed to the stressful conditions of working during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; Identifier: NCT05308537.