Emergency Department Nurses' Experiences of a Mindfulness Training Intervention: A Phenomenological Exploration.
Sofia Trygg Lycke, Fanny Airosa, Lena Lundh
Journal of holistic nursing : official journal of the American Holistic Nurses' Association May 16, 2022 DOI: 10.1177/08980101221100091 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative interview study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 8 |
| Population | Emergency care nurses who participated in a mindfulness intervention |
| Intervention | Mindfulness training delivered via workshops and a smartphone application |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Humans Emotions Empathy Nurses Emergency service, hospital Compassion Loving-kindness Qualitative interviews Holistic nursing |
| Key findings | Emergency care nurses described mindfulness training as increasing their awareness and producing personal changes that they felt benefited themselves, their colleagues, and their patients. Most found the smartphone application easy to use and effective, though practicing mindfulness in a busy emergency care setting presented challenges. |
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore emergency care nurses' experiences of an intervention to increase compassion and empathy and reduce stress through individual mindfulness training delivered via workshops and a smartphone application. We also explored how the nurses felt about the practical and technical aspects of the intervention.
Design: Qualitative interview study.
Method: Individual interviews were conducted with eight of the 56 participants in the intervention study and used phenomenological analysis to illuminate how they made sense of their lived experiences of mindfulness training.
Findings: Three themes illuminated the nurses' experiences: becoming aware, changing through mindfulness, and gaining the tools for mindfulness through workshops and the mobile application. The first two themes expressed personal experiences, whereas the third expressed experiences of the practical and technical aspects of the intervention. Most nurses found the mobile application easy to use and effective.
Conclusions: Emergency care nurses can feel that the awareness and changes that come with mindfulness training benefit them, their colleagues, and the patients for whom they care. The findings also provide insights into the challenges of practicing mindfulness in a busy emergency care setting and into the practical aspects of using a smartphone application to train mindfulness.