Educating Acute Care Nurses on Mindfulness to Reduce Work-Related Stress and Burnout

Abstract

By Michaela Roepken, Nursing; Samantha Bany, Nursing; Nicholas Spangler, Nursing

Advisor: Caroline Morrison

Presentation ID: 114

Abstract: A growing number of healthcare professionals are finding themselves unable to cope with high levels of stress, with studies reporting that up to 70% of intensive care unit (ICU) nurses and over 40% of hospital nurses experience work-related burnout. The purpose of our educational project was to introduce mindfulness techniques to acute care nurses in Cincinnati hospitals to increase their knowledge of this practice to combat burnout. We created an educational session which included an informational brochure and demonstrative videos. We presented statistics about burnout, described how to perform mindfulness, and provided resources for the nurses' personal use to enhance their practice of mindfulness in their workplace. Pre-and post-educational surveys were provided and utilized to assess if their knowledge of mindfulness improved. Findings showed that most nurses demonstrated an increase in comfort and confidence in utilizing mindfulness in the workplace. Overall, 8/9 nurses we educated report struggling with work-related stress and burnout. After our education session, 8/9 nurses felt either extremely or very confident in their knowledge of mindfulness techniques to improve these struggles.