Self-compassion training for certified nurse assistants in nursing homes

The Prevalence and Benefits of Self-Compassion Among Professional Caregivers

OBJECTIVE

Self-compassion is a healthy way of responding to challenges that may help long-term care professional caregivers (ie, nursing assistants and personal care aides) cope with stress, but its use may vary in important ways. This study explored the relationships between self-compassion and caregiver demographic characteristics, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and job satisfaction in a large racially/ethnically diverse sample of professional caregivers.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional self-report questionnaire.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

A total of 391 professional caregivers, including nursing assistants and personal care aides from 10 nursing homes and 3 assisted living communities in New York, California, and North Carolina.

METHODS

Professional caregivers were invited to complete an online questionnaire regarding stress and coping. Self-compassion was measured using the Self-Compassion for Youth Scale; anxiety and depressive symptoms were assessed using standardized screeners; and job satisfaction was assessed via an item used in a national survey. Self-compassion scores were represented by total scores and individual subscale scores. Analysis of variance was used to examine differences in self-compassion scores based on demographic characteristics, and correlation coefficients were used to explore relationships between self-compassion and mental health symptoms and job satisfaction.

RESULTS

Significant differences were found in self-compassion based on age, race/ethnicity, place of birth, and education. In general, older caregivers, caregivers with higher education, and caregivers born outside the United States had the highest self-compassion, whereas White caregivers had the lowest self-compassion. Self-compassion was negatively associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms and positively associated with job satisfaction.

CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS

Professional caregivers' use of self-compassion to cope with challenges may depend on characteristics and life experiences influenced by their sociocultural background. Given the link between self-compassion and lower mental health symptoms and higher job satisfaction, it may be helpful to design and implement interventions with these differences in mind.

The experience of self-compassion training among NHS healthcare professionals

Self-compassion in healthcare professionals (HCPs) is under-researched and undervalued. Promoting self-compassion within healthcare could have far-reaching benefits. This research study explores the experience of four NHS HCPs receiving a single short self-compassion training, with recommended at-home practices completed over 4 weeks. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews gathered information about their experience, resultant wellbeing and any impact on colleagues and patients. The main themes emerging from analysis of the interviews were motivation, permission and prioritisation. The motivation to practise self-compassion, and share this learning resulted from improved understanding of its potential benefits. Permission ties in with the notion of common humanity in self-compassion and its impact on negative self-talk and negative attitudes to self-compassion in a workplace. Prioritisation acknowledges the challenges for HCPs of investing time in self-compassion practice despite overstretched HCP workloads. Further consideration of these themes may help to better target any future research into strategies for enabling self-compassion among HCPs.

Effectiveness of intervention programs aimed at improving the nursing work environment: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The nursing work environment can be compromised due to workload, stress and many other issues. A good nursing work environment is needed to for the health and wellbeing of nurses and therefore measures are developed to improve nursing work environment.

AIM

To determine whether measures designed to improve the work environment for nursing professionals are effective.

METHODOLOGY

Online research in the Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, ERIC, CINHAL, PsycINFO, and American Doctoral Dissertations databases, along with manual search, was carried out. Primary experimental studies made up of intervention and control groups were included, with pre-/post-measure evaluation in the nursing team, based on the effects of the interventions. Risk of bias was calculated using the Cochrane tool.

RESULTS

A total of 1997 studies were examined; 19 clinical trials met the inclusion criteria. A total of 1427 nurses participated in the selected studies. The fields of application of the interventions were personal and environmental. Out of the fields targeting individuals, three methodologies were identified: cognitive-behavioral techniques, stress management, channeling anxiety and physical well-being; and those aimed at environmental fields: aromatization and organization. The most evaluated characteristic was teamwork, and the most analyzed symptom was stress. Most of the interventions concluded with at least one significant improvement.

CONCLUSIONS

Interventions aimed at enhancing the work environment are effective ways of increasing job satisfaction. The heterogeneity of the data did not allow us to determine which intervention is the most effective. The combination, type, and duration are variables that affect efficacy.

IMPLICATION FOR NURSING AND NURSING POLICY

This systematic review provides resources for improving the work environment that affects nursing staff, other professionals, and patients. Encouraging a healthy atmosphere leads to excellence in care and improved safety.

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.

Loving-kindness and compassion meditations in the workplace: A meta-analysis and future prospects

Loving-kindness and compassion meditation (LKCM) have been well applied among employees to improve their health and well-being. Existing studies on LKCM have also provided supportive evidence of its benefits and effectiveness under organizational contexts. The current meta-analytical study aimed to systematically summarise the effects of LKCM in the workplace and to outline directions for future research and practice. Among 327 empirical studies on LKCM published until March 2022, 21 trials focussed on employees and provided sufficient information, which were included in the following meta-analysis. The results showed that LKCM benefited eight categories of workplace outcomes. Specifically, LKCM effectively decreased employees' burnout (g = 0.395, k = 10) and stress (g = 0.544, k = 10) and facilitated their mindfulness (g = 0.558, k = 14), self-compassion (g = 0.646, k = 12), personal mental health (g = 0.308, k = 13), job attitudes (g = 0.283, k = 4), interpersonal relationships (g = 0.381, k = 12), and psychological resources (g = 0.406, k = 6). The results of moderation analyses further indicated that the participants' job type, gender, and the focus of LKCM might differentially fluctuate the magnitude of LKCM effects. To advance research and best practice, we finally pointed out several issues that deserve attention, such as long-term effects, underlying mechanisms, potential moderators, and outcomes or influential factors at the organizational level.

Relationship between emotional intelligence and job stressors of psychiatric nurses: A multi-centre cross-sectional study

AIM

To investigate the impact of socio-demographic factors and job stressors on the emotional intelligence of psychiatric nurses.

BACKGROUND

Emotional intelligence plays a crucial role in enabling nurses to effectively manage their own emotions, comprehend the emotions of others and assist individuals in dealing with diverse stressors. Nevertheless, a comprehensive conceptualization of the relationship between job stressors and emotional intelligence remains lacking.

DESIGN

This study employs a multi-centre cross-sectional design.

METHODS

A multi-centre cross-sectional survey involving 1083 registered nurses from 11 psychiatric hospitals across four provinces in China was conducted. Non-probability sampling was utilised. The survey encompassed assessments of nurse job stressors, emotional intelligence using a scale and socio-demographic characteristics using a questionnaire. A multiple linear regression model was applied to identify significant variables associated with emotional intelligence based on demographic attributes and various nurse job stressors. The study adhered to the STROBE checklist.

RESULTS

The findings revealed a noteworthy negative correlation between nurse job stressors and emotional intelligence. Socio-demographic factors and job stressors of certain nurses were able to predict emotional intelligence and its dimensions among psychiatric nurses, with percentages of 44.50%, 40.10%, 36.40%, 36.60% and 34.60%.

CONCLUSION

Providing emotional intelligence training for psychiatric nurses could enhance their capacity to cope effectively with workplace stress, particularly among younger nurses who engage in limited physical activities.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

The analysis of the relationship between emotional intelligence and nurse job stressors could facilitate early detection and intervention by managers based on pertinent factors. This, in turn, could elevate the emotional intelligence level of psychiatric nurses.

NO PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

This study did not recruit participants, so details of participants were not be involved.

Effect of Training on the Ability of Nurses to Provide Humanistic Care: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

This article describes a systematic review evaluating the effectiveness of training on the humanistic care abilities of nurses.

METHOD

The literature search was conducted in electronic databases to identify studies that evaluated the effect of training on the humanistic care abilities of nurses. Study selection was based on precise eligibility criteria. After the systematic review, a meta-analysis of standardized mean differences (SMDs) between posttraining and pretraining humanistic care scale scores was performed to evaluate the effect of training.

RESULTS

A total of 11 studies were included (624 nurse participants; 97% women; weighted average age = 38.4 years; 95% confidence interval (CI) [31.5, 45.4]). Training schedules varied and ranged from a full-day workshop to brief weekly sessions for up to 2 months. The training framework involved compassion and empathy communication in most of the included studies. Training improved the humanistic care scale scores of the participants (SMD = 1.171; 95% CI [0.626, 1.716]; p < .0001), whereas no significant change was seen in the scores of control subjects (SMD = 0.588; 95% CI [-0.536, 1.713]; p = .305). The effect of training was observable for up to 1 year, although few studies carried out follow-up evaluations.

CONCLUSION

Training has the potential to improve the humanistic care abilities of nurses. [J Contin Educ Nurs. 2023;54(9):430-436.].

Acceptability and feasibility of an online version of the Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities program

Self-compassion, a way of relating to oneself like a good friend, may be an essential skill for healthcare professionals to develop in order to cope with the stressors of their job and avoid burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and other mental health problems during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the acceptability and feasibility of an online version of the 6-session Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities program (SCHC) during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Similar to in-person studies of the program, participants (n = 37) reported significant increases in self-compassion and mindfulness, and significant decreases in burnout, secondary traumatic stress, depression, and stress from pre to post intervention. Number of sessions attended predicted gains in self-compassion and increases in self-compassion predicted changes in mindfulness, secondary traumatic stress, burnout, depression, and resilience decompression. Online programs such as SCHC may be an accessible way to support healthcare professionals' mental health even after the pandemic is over.

Efficacy of the online Mindful Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities program for surgical trainees: a prospective pilot study

Purpose

The efficacy of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) for Healthcare Communities program has not been verified. This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of the online MSC for Healthcare Communities program on burnout, stress-related health, and resilience among surgical trainees.

Methods

A single-arm pilot study was conducted at a tertiary referral academic hospital in Korea. Surgical trainees were recruited through flyer postings; therefore, a volunteer sample was used. Thus, 15 participants participated, among whom 9 were women and 11 were doctor-residents. The Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) program was conducted from September to October 2021 via weekly online meetings (1 hour) for 6 weeks. The efficacy of the program was evaluated using validated scales for burnout, stress, anxiety, depression, self-compassion, and resilience before and after the intervention and 1 month later.

Results

The results showed significantly reduced burnout, anxiety, and stress scores. After the program, high emotional exhaustion and depersonalization rates decreased, and personal accomplishment increased. Eight participants showed reduced anxiety postintervention, and 9 showed reduced stress. Improvements were observed between pre- and postintervention in resilience, life satisfaction, and common humanity. Changes in self-compassion predicted higher gains in resilience and greater reductions in burnout and stress.

Conclusion

The SCHC is a feasible and effective program to improve resilience, self-compassion, and life satisfaction and reduce stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout in surgical trainees. This study highlights the need to include specific mental health programs in surgical training to improve trainees' well-being.

Self-compassion training to improve well-being for surgical residents

CONTEXT

Burnout remains prevalent among surgical residents. Self-compassion training may serve to improve their well-being.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the impact on well-being of a self-compassion program modified for surgical residents.

DESIGN

This is a 3-year, mixed-methods study using pre-post surveys and focus groups to identify areas for programmatic improvement and the subsequent impact of the modifications.

SETTING

A single academic institution.

PARTICIPANTS

Surgical residents participating in a self-compassion program.

INTERVENTIONS

A self-compassion program adapted from a larger course to fit the needs of surgical residents.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Themes relating to the program's strengths and weaknesses were identified through participant focus groups. Well-being was assessed through validated measurement tools, including The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Perceived Stress Scale, and Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-6.

RESULTS

95 residents participated in the self-compassion program, of which 40 residents completed both surveys (total response rate: 42%). All participants demonstrated severe burnout pre-program, based on scores of at least one of the MBI subscales. Emotional exhaustion scores improved post-program, with larger improvements seen after program modifications (2018: 58% vs 2020: 71%). Focus group findings demonstrated that residents need a safe and distraction-free space to practice self-compassion, and program engagement improved following modifications.

Mindfulness-Based Intervention for the Reduction of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout in Nurse Caregivers of Institutionalized Older Persons with Dementia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The recent COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted the mental health of nurses caring for institutionalized older people. Caring in this environment can be complex, with higher levels of burnout and compassion fatigue in staff. It is therefore important to find interventions to increase the well-being of staff. Mindfulness training is known to be effective in treating a variety of physical and mental health conditions. This study sought to conduct a direct evaluation of the effectiveness of a combined online training in two types of mindfulness-based therapies for the reduction of compassion fatigue and burnout in geriatric nurses caring for institutionalized elderly people with dementia. In a randomized controlled trial (n = 39 experimental group, n = 35 control group), we explored whether individuals with high levels of burnout and compassion fatigue would benefit more from an online mindfulness training program. The outcome variable was the ProQoL professional quality of life scale, which was collected at baseline, at six weeks, and at three months after completion of the intervention. Significant differences were found between both groups for the subscales Compassion Fatigue and Burnout (p < 0.05), with a significant improvement in the experimental group (significant effect size). These findings were maintained at three months after the end of the intervention for both compassion fatigue (F1,28 = 18.14, p = 0.003) and burnout (F1,28 = 7.25, p = 0.040). However, there were no differences between groups for the satisfaction subscale. The effect of time and the effects of comparing the two groups after controlling for time were statistically significant for all three subscales of the questionnaire (all p values < 0.001), with effect sizes ranging from small to large (R² change 0.10-0.47). These data indicate that the experimental condition was more effective, explaining between 10 and 18% more of the variance. A short, online intervention based on mindfulness training appears to be effective for reducing compassion fatigue and burnout in geriatric nurses, with sustained effects over time.