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Mindfulness: Assessing the Feasibility of a Pilot Intervention to Reduce Stress and Burnout

Purpose: To examine the feasibility of a brief mindfulness intervention and to reduce nurse stress and burnout in an inpatient medical unit. Design: Single-arm, pre/post test study design. Method: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and pre/post demographic questionnaires given at pre-intervention (baseline) and 6 weeks post-intervention. Intervention effectiveness was compared between the pre-survey (N = 52) and post-survey (N = 33). Five choices were offered to inpatient staff: a guided mindfulness CD, soothing sounds machine with a breathing technique instructional, mindfulness prompts, a journal, and water/snacks during six consecutive weekends. Findings: The mean PSS score did not improve and demonstrated a slight increase during the six-weekend intervention. However, mean MBI scores for the subscales of emotional exhaustion and depersonalization did demonstrate improvement as evident by decreased scores. Additionally, the mean MBI score for the subscale of personal accomplishment also improved with increased scores. Qualitative themes were positive and included relaxation, nourishment, and refocus. Majority of participants (75%) perceived the intervention as being effective or very effective in reducing stress at work. Respondents were “interested” or “very interested” in continuing a similar intervention in the future (84.9%). Conclusion: The improvement in scores for the MBI measures were a positive finding. The intervention was low cost, individualized, and accessible. The feasibility and perceptions of the intervention’s effectiveness has positive implications for the well-being of nurses.