Implementing Brief Mindfulness-Based Interventions to Reduce Compassion Fatigue.
Sharada K Tripathi, David C Mulkey
Critical Care Nurse October 1, 2023 DOI: 10.4037/ccn2023745 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pre-post intervention study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 29 |
| Population | Nurses in a surgical-trauma unit converted to a designated COVID-19 unit |
| Intervention | deep breathing |
| Dose | 5 minutes |
| Duration | February 2021 to March 2022 |
| Measures | Professional Quality of Life, version 5 |
| Topics | Meditation |
| Key points | Brief 5-minute mindfulness-based interventions delivered during shift huddles were associated with significant improvements in all Professional Quality of Life subscales: burnout decreased by 9.35%, secondary traumatic stress decreased by 11.89%, and compassion satisfaction increased by 6.44%. Nurses reported the interventions helped them cope with work-related stress. |
Abstract
Nurses in surgical-trauma units are susceptible to compassion fatigue due to work-related stressors. Mitigating and preventing compassion fatigue are critical to supporting the health and well-being of surgical-trauma nurses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a surgical-trauma unit was converted to a designated COVID-19 unit. Nurses verbalized feelings of burnout and stress during the pandemic and did not have a mechanism to cope with work-related stress. This project evaluated the impact of brief mindfulness-based interventions on compassion fatigue. From February 2021 to March 2022, mindfulness champions led 5 minutes of mindfulness-based interventions, including meditation, deep breathing, and self-compassion exercises, during shift huddles. The Professional Quality of Life, version 5, questionnaire was used to evaluate preintervention and postintervention burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and compassion satisfaction. Paired-sample t tests were used to evaluate the results. Twenty-nine of 34 nurses responded (85% response rate) with matched preintervention and postintervention questionnaires. All subscale scores showed significant improvement after intervention. The mean burnout subscale score decreased by 9.35% (P = .003), mean secondary traumatic stress subscale score decreased by 11.89% (P = .005), and mean compassion satisfaction subscale score increased by 6.44% (P = .03) after intervention. After implementing brief mindfulness-based interventions in shift huddles, nurses reported reductions in elements of compassion fatigue (burnout and secondary traumatic stress). Nurses reported that adding brief mindfulness-based interventions to shift huddles helped them cope with work-related stress. Brief mindfulness-based interventions can improve nurses' compassion satisfaction while reducing compassion fatigue measurements.
Comparable studies
Other non-randomized and open-label trials on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction in Relation to Quality of Life, Mood, Symptoms of Stress, and Immune Parameters in Breast and Prostate Cancer Outpatients Early-stage breast and prostate cancer patients | 2003 | Pre-post intervention study | n = 59 |
| Exploring self‐compassion and empathy in the context of mindfulness‐based stress reduction (MBSR) Community sample | 2010 | Pre-post intervention study | |
| Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Lowers Psychological Distress In Medical Students Second-year medical students | 2003 | Prospective nonrandomized cohort-controlled study | n = 302 |
| Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators. Retreat participants and matched controls | 2011 | Controlled trial with wait-list control group | n = 60 |
| The Effectiveness of Mindfulness Training for Children with ADHD and Mindful Parenting for their Parents Children aged 8-12 with ADHD and their parents | 2011 | Within-group waitlist controlled trial | n = 22 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- The effect of an in-person mindfulness program on compassion in nursing care among undergraduate nursing students BMC Nursing August 24, 2026
- Brief mindfulness-based intervention to improve clinician mindful behaviours and well-being at two US hospitals: a randomised controlled, mixed methods trial BMJ Quality & Safety June 25, 2026
- Mindfulness-Based Interventions as Holistic Strategy for Psychiatric Nurse Burnout: A Narrative Review. Holistic Nursing Practice July 21, 2026
- Attentional processes in brief mindfulness meditation and socio-affective responses to in-group and out-group suffering. Acta Psychologica June 1, 2026
- Mindfulness-Oriented Professional Resilience (MOPR) Training to Reduce Compassion Fatigue in Healthcare Workers: A Pilot Study. Healthcare January 7, 2025
Cites 7
- The Effects of Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction on Nurse Stress and Burnout Holistic Nursing Practice November 1, 2004
- Mindfulness, Compassion, and Self-Compassion Among Health Care Professionals: What's New? A Systematic Review Frontiers in Psychology July 31, 2020
- The effect of mindfulness training on burnout syndrome in nursing: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Advanced Nursing February 5, 2020
- Caring for the caregivers: Evaluation of the effect of an eight-week pilot mindful self-compassion (MSC) training program on nurses' compassion fatigue and resilience. PLoS One 2018
- Burnout and Mindfulness Self-Compassion in Nurses of Intensive Care Units: Cross-Sectional Study. Holistic Nursing Practice July 1, 2017
and 2 more in the library