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Mindfulness-based stress reduction training yields improvements in well-being and rates of perceived nursing errors among hospital nurses.

Stephanie Daigle, France Talbot, Douglas J French

Journal of Advanced Nursing October 2018 DOI: 10.1111/jan.13729 (opens in new tab)

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AI-extracted from the abstract
Characteristics Randomized controlled trial with matched pair design Pilot study Peer reviewed
Sample size 70
Population Registered Nurses and licensed practical nurses working in a hospital
Intervention Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)
Duration 3-month post-treatment follow-up
Topics Meditation
Keywords Nurses Nursing error Stress Well-being
Key findings MBSR significantly improved distress among hospital nurses compared with a waitlist control, and most participants reported high treatment satisfaction. Among the 28.6% of nurses who reported errors had been a problem for them, 37.5% perceived improvement at three months post-treatment. The authors suggest MBSR's benefits may extend to nursing errors, while noting these are initial findings requiring further study.

Abstract

This pilot study aims to further document mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR)'s effect on well-being while exploring its impact on errors among hospital nurses. The concept of mindfulness has been found to be highly relevant to holistic nursing practices but remains understudied and underused. Preliminary evidence suggests that MBSR can reduce stress among nurses. As stress and mental processes such as inattention are potential sources of error, MBSR may also help to improve patient safety. Reducing errors is of significant relevance in healthcare settings. A randomized controlled trial with a matched pair design was conducted. Seventy Registered Nurses and licensed practical nurses were randomized to MBSR (N = 37) or a waitlist control condition (N = 33). Intention-to-treat ANCOVAs revealed that MBSR produced significant improvements in distress. High levels of treatment satisfaction were reported by a majority of participants. Of the nurses who reported that errors had been a problem for them (28.6%), a perceived improvement was noticed by over a third (37.5%) at 3 months post-treatment. These initial findings suggest that the benefits of MBSR may extend to nursing errors.

Comparable studies

Other randomized controlled trials on meditation, most cited first.

Study Year Design Participants
Alterations in Brain and Immune Function Produced by Mindfulness Meditation Healthy employees in a work environment 2003 Randomized controlled trial n = 41
Prevention of relapse/recurrence in major depression by mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. Recovered recurrently depressed patients 2000 Randomized controlled trial n = 145
Open hearts build lives: Positive emotions, induced through loving-kindness meditation, build consequential personal resources. Working adults 2008 Randomized controlled trial n = 139
Short-term meditation training improves attention and self-regulation Undergraduate Chinese students 2007 Randomized controlled trial n = 40
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: Replication and Exploration of Differential Relapse Prevention Effects. Recovered recurrently depressed patients 2004 Randomized controlled trial n = 73

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