An Exploratory Study of a 3-Minute Mindfulness Intervention on Compassion Fatigue in Nurses

Factors affecting nurses' compassion fatigue: A path analysis study

BACKGROUND

Nurses often experience compassion fatigue as a result of exposure to chronic work-related stress. It is thought that nurses' mindfulness levels and patience attitudes might be effective on compassion fatigue.

AIM

Therefore, in this study, it is aimed to examine the relationship between nurses' compassion fatigue, mindfulness levels and patience levels.

METHODS

The study was carried out in a descriptive and relation-seeking type and was completed with the participation of 469 nurses. Data Form of Demographic and Professional Characteristics, Compassion Fatigue-Short Scale, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale and The Patience Scale were used as data collection tools.

FINDINGS

As a result of the research, it was determined that there was a relationship between the mindfulness and patience levels of nurses and compassion fatigue. As the mindfulness and patience levels of nurses increase, compassion fatigue decreases (p < 0.05). As the mindfulness levels of the nurses increase, their patience levels increase as well (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

Accordingly, it is recommended to increase the level of patience and reduce compassion fatigue by applying interventions that will increase the mindfulness levels of nurses.

Effective interventions to reduce burnout in nurses: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

To examine the effectiveness of interventions to ameliorate burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and emotional exhaustion in nurses and midwives. The systematic review was completed with all available studies that reported data on the effect of interventions that targeted burnout using the outcome measures of the Professional Quality of Life scale (ProQOL), or the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI).

METHODS

We used a systematic review methodology, which included a meta-analysis. A total of 2103 articles resulted from the systematic search; 688 were removed as duplicates, and 1415 articles were reviewed by the title and abstract, of which 255 were eligible for full-text screening. Only 66 met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analysis. The final meta-analysis consisted of 33 reports divided into 12 studies for ProQOL and 21 studies for the MBI.

RESULTS

The results provide an overall effect in studies using the ProQOL measurement was Z = 2.07 (P = 0.04) and a positive improvement mean difference of 9.32. The overall effect in studies using MBI was Z = 3.13 (P = 0.002) and a positive improvement mean difference of 6.58.

CONCLUSIONS

Whilst most studies indicated a positive difference, the most effective interventions included clinical supervision or activities that addressed the personal physical and mental well-being of nurses. Less effective interventions were managerial interventions or ones that used a strictly educational approach.

Feasibility of a 3-Minute Mindful Breathing Intervention for Enhancing Psychiatric Mental Health Nurses' Resilience During COVID: Findings From a 4-Week Pilot Study

COVID created a perfect storm of conditions leading to excessive and prolonged stress on already vulnerable nurses. This study examines the feasibility of enhancing psychiatric mental health nurses' (PMHNs') resilience by practicing a 3-minute mindfulness-based intervention. In this pilot study, we explored if PMHNs could be recruited and retained for intervention implementation, intervention acceptability, and measurement of any notable changes over the prescribed period. Study feasibility is reflected in high participant retention and increased postintervention resilience scores. Given the positive outcomes, a larger-scale study is warranted. Additional areas of opportunity include strategies for increasing participant uptake, and, due to limited acceptability feedback, the introduction of a usefulness scale.

Effect of six-week short-duration deep breathing on young adults with chronic ankle instability-a pilot randomized control trial

BACKGROUND

Chronic ankle instability (CAI) is the most common injury in youth sports, which leads to psychological stress from doubting their performance. Cost effective and easy to access tool to reduce the stress among this target group are desired. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of adding on intervention with short-duration deep breathing (SDDB) alongside with conventional physiotherapy (CP) among young adults with chronic ankle instability (CAI).

METHODS

Total of 30 CAI participants attended physiotherapy, who were randomly assigned into control and experimental groups. The participants in the experimental group received combined intervention (SDDB + CP), and the control group received CP for 6 weeks. The effectiveness of interventions was assessed at 3 intervals with a battery of questionnaires (Visual Analog Score, Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool, Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and Oxford Happiness Questionnaire) at the end of week 3, week 6, and week 12 as follow-up. A two-way repeated measures of ANOVA was applied to report the statistical significance at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

The results showed a better improvement in pain, balance, happiness, and mindfulness attention among participants in the experimental group, with a significant improvement in mindful attention over the time point as compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

The findings provide insight into incorporating SDDB additions to the existing CP for better CAI management. Breathing techniques that improve attention and happiness play a vital role in CAI, which recommends the biopsychosocial approach in chronic injury rehabilitation.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Current Controlled Trials using Clinical Trials Registry under ID number NCT04812158 retrospectively registered on 23/03/2021.

NURSE: Five Micropractices to Reduce Stress

The Coronavirus pandemic affected patients' health and heightened stress among the frontline caregivers, especially radiology nurses. Although there is literature on the effects of stress on nurses, there is a gap on interventions to mitigate the impact of stress. There are evidence-based mindful interventions to maintain balance in stressful situations and reduce perceived stress in sports, neuroscience, and positive psychology. Studies show that even brief periods of self-care reduce stress and cortisol levels. Nurses work long hours and have personal, family, and community responsibilities. Nurses may not have the luxury of extra time to devote to self-care. Therefore, this essay summarizes what stress does to the body; the tangible and intangible costs associated with unmanaged stress among nurses. Five self-care micropractices requiring no additional time called NURSE are offered. When practiced consistently, these micropractices can enhance nurses' well-being, leading to the retention of nursing talent and improved patient care.

Compassion Fatigue in Oncology Nurses in Turkey: A Qualitative Study

Nurses working in oncology clinics, where terminal patients are frequently cared for, face the risk of compassion fatigue, and, therefore, it is important to understand their experiences of this condition. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify compassion fatigue among nurses working in oncology clinics. The findings led to the identification of 5 themes: empathy, sadness, despair, depersonalization, and not suffering from death.

I Get by With a Little Help From My Peers: Mindfulness and Peer Support for Doctor of Nursing Practice Students

ABSTRACT

Graduate nursing students faced numerous stressors while pursuing their education during the COVID-19 pandemic, with many working clinically while studying. The purpose of this pilot was to explore support strategies and decrease stress in first-year students enrolled in a doctor of nursing practice program during a time of uncertainty and crisis. Graduate students were assigned to practice a three-minute mindfulness activity and connect with a fellow student for a month. Students reported mindfulness benefits and social support. Modeling healthy practices is critical to support mastery of skills that will promote positive reactions to challenges in their future practice settings.

A Conceptual Model of the Influence of Mindfulness-Based Interventions on Stress and Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Conditions

Individuals with chronic conditions are susceptible to stress-related health complications. Left unattended, chronic stress exacerbates inflammation, diminishes quality of life (QOL), and increases all-cause mortality. Here, we suggest a theoretical framework promoting the use of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in patients with chronic conditions and a conceptual model of how MBIs may influence stress and QOL.

The Effectiveness and Safety of Mind-Body Modalities for Mental Health of Nurses in Hospital Setting: A Systematic Review

The mental health of nurses including burnout is an important issue. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate whether mind-body modalities improve burnout and other mental health aspects of nurses. A comprehensive search was conducted using six electronic databases. Randomized controlled trials using mind-body modalities on the mental health of nurses, up to January 2021, were included. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Seventeen studies were included in the review. Data on mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) and yoga were available for burnout, and there was no evidence that multimodal resilience programs including MBIs statistically significantly improved burnout levels compared to no intervention or active control groups. However, one study reported that yoga could significantly improve emotional exhaustion and depersonalization, which are subscales of burnout, compared to usual care. In addition, the effects of MBIs, relaxation, yoga, and music on various mental health outcomes and stress-related symptoms have been reported. In conclusion, there was some evidence that yoga was helpful for improvement in burnout of nurses. However, due to the heterogeneity of interventions and outcomes of the studies included, further high-quality clinical trials are needed on this topic in the future.