Effectiveness of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction in Pediatric Nurses.

Nid'a A Al-Jdeetawey; M. Al-Hammouri; Jehad A. Rababah; Wafa'a F. Ta'an; Mohammad M. Suliman

doi:10.1111/wvn.70002

Effectiveness of a Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention on Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction in Pediatric Nurses.

Nid'a A Al-Jdeetawey, M. Al-Hammouri, Jehad A. Rababah, Wafa'a F. Ta'an, Mohammad M. Suliman

Worldviews on Evidence-Based Nursing February 1, 2025 DOI: 10.1111/wvn.70002 (opens in new tab)

Relevant Not relevant

Study at a glance

AI-extracted from the abstract

Characteristics	Quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study with randomization by hospital Peer reviewed
Sample size	204
Population	Nurses working in pediatric intensive care units across four hospitals
Intervention	Brief mindfulness-based intervention
Duration	6 weeks
Measures	Professional Quality of Life Scale, Version 5
Topics	Meditation
Key findings	The brief mindfulness-based intervention was associated with significantly lower mean burnout and secondary traumatic stress scores and significantly higher compassion satisfaction in the intervention group compared with the control group. Low compassion satisfaction, high burnout, and high secondary traumatic stress categorizations disappeared in the intervention group post-intervention but not in the control group.

Abstract

Background: Unlike other medical practitioners, nurses working in pediatric intensive care units face uniquely challenging workplace conditions because they care for preterm newborns and critically ill patients. These workplace challenges led to increased compassion fatigue (i.e., burnout and secondary traumatic stress) and decreased compassion satisfaction. Compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction strongly influence the quality of care and patient outcomes, and these need to be addressed through effective interventions such as mindfulness-based interventions.

Aim: This study aimed to examine the impact of a brief mindfulness-based intervention on compassion fatigue and compassion satisfaction among pediatric intensive care nurses.

Methods: A quasi experimental study with a pretest posttest design was used to recruit 204 nurses: 102 in the intervention group and 102 in the control group with randomization by hospital (n = 4). The brief mindfulness-based intervention was delivered over 6 weeks. Data were collected using a demographics questionnaire and the Professional Quality of Life Scale, Version 5.

Results: The intervention group's mean scores of burnout and secondary traumatic stress were significantly lower postinterventions compared with the control group. Similarly, the mean compassion satisfaction score for the intervention group indicated a significant improvement post-intervention compared with the control group. Additional evidence for the effectiveness of the intervention was the disappearance of low compassion satisfaction, high burnout, and high secondary traumatic stress categorizations postintervention in the intervention group, contrary to the control group. LINKING EVIDENCE TO ACTION Implementing brief mindfulness-based interventions can improve pediatric intensive care nurses' well-being by reducing burnout and secondary traumatic stress while enhancing compassion satisfaction. By using the study's findings, nurse managers can make these practices essential for high-quality care and effective workforce management.

Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: ACTRN12622000389707.

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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