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

Managing Compassion Fatigue in Intensive Care Unit Nurses: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Compassion fatigue is the accumulation of negative feelings from long-term exposure to human suffering, which leads to emotional, physical, and spiritual exhaustion. Intensive care unit nurses are especially prone to this due to the unique stressors of their work environment, such as high patient mortality and caring for medically unstable patients. There is currently a gap in literature appraising the effectiveness of interventions that help manage compassion fatigue in intensive care unit nurses.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review evaluates the efficacy of compassion fatigue interventions for intensive care unit nurses.

METHODS

This systematic review was conducted following guidelines from the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement. Literature published between 2005 and 2024 was obtained from Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases. Studies were included if they met the following inclusion criteria: quantitative study design, involved an intervention to prevent or manage compassion fatigue, evaluation of compassion fatigue or one of its components (burnout and secondary traumatic stress), an intervention involving intensive care unit nurses, and articles published in the English language.These data were appraised by 2 independent reviewers using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal tool.

RESULTS

A total of 17 studies were included. This review found moderate and high strength of evidence for interventions to reduce compassion fatigue in intensive care unit nurses. The most effective interventions were mind-body interventions that were accessible, portable, brief, and adaptable to nurses' work settings.

DISCUSSION

This review has several limitations. Many studies included in this review had small sample sizes, were conducted at 1 hospital setting or unit, and used weak study designs. Several studies also used different interventions and measurement approaches, making it difficult to compare and synthesize findings and outcomes. Thus, the heterogeneity of studies limited our ability to draw strong conclusions about different types of interventions. Additional and more rigorous studies examining interventions to decrease and manage compassion fatigue in intensive care unit nurses are needed. There is also a need to foster better generalizability of research findings.

Effects of a mindfulness-based health promotion program on mindfulness, psychological capital, compassion fatigue, and affect in healthcare workers

Objective

This study aimed to examine the effects of the Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion program on mindfulness, psychological capital, compassion fatigue, and affect in a sample of healthcare workers at a hospital in Colombia.

Method

Randomized controlled study with pre-test and post-test measures, in which 33 workers participated (Mage = 35.01, SD = 10.0), assigned to the experimental group (EG, n = 16, Mage = 34.00, SD = 9.59) and the wait-list control group (CG, n = 17, Mage = 36.03, SD = 10.56). The contrast of the program effects was carried out through a mixed factorial ANOVA.

Results

We found significant effects on observing, non-reacting and mindfulness as a function of the group factor.

Conclusion

We concluded the Mindfulness-Based Health Promotion program showed positive effects on mindfulness, this was tested with a novel program designed for the Latin population. This study is pioneering in using this mindfulness program in Colombia. These findings offer valuable insights for leaders of healthcare institutions when developing intervention programs that promote the mental health in the workplace. Future studies with larger samples and mixed-methods are necessary to confirm our results and to identify factors that can predict these findings.

Effect of Mindfulness Intervention on Compassion Fatigue Among Nurses: A Randomized Controlled Trial Study

Compassion fatigue is a syndrome defined by both mental and physical restlessness. Mindfulness intervention can enhance one's emotions with nonjudgmental awareness and greater consciousness of thoughts and feelings. This study aims to examine the effect of mindfulness intervention on compassion fatigue among nurses. A randomized controlled trial was conducted, recruiting 100 nurses from three hospitals and dividing participants into an intervention and a control group. Increased mindfulness awareness was found in the comparison group in the research. The intervention group's mean burnout level was significantly lower than the comparison group. Age, gender, marital status, household size, and household income were among the sociodemographic factors that significantly correlated with compassion fatigue, which was determined through burnout and secondary traumatic stress. Nurses reported significant levels of compassion fatigue; however, this was significantly decreased through mindfulness intervention.

Development and Implementation of a Multidimensional Narrative Support System for Emergency Nurses: An Action Research

Background

Emergency nurses may experience various fatiguing duties and suffer more pressure, so it is necessary to promote their professional or work-related quality of life, especially during tough periods.

Aim

To describe the development of the multidimensional narrative support system and explore its effectiveness and feasibility among emergency nurses.

Design

An action research was conducted in Shanghai, China, from 2022 to 2023.

Methods

Two cycles of action research were adopted in the emergency departments of two tertiary general hospitals in Shanghai, China. A total of 20 and 13 emergency nurses from different posts participated in each cycle. Multiple methods and tools, such as validated instruments, self-designed questionnaires, and individual and focus group interviews, were used to collect short- and long-term data. The EQUATOR guidelines on reporting action research were used as the guideline for this study.

Results

The multidimensional narrative support system was gradually modified to promote its feasibility. Involved emergency nurses actively participated in different activities and proposed relatively positive and satisfying remarks. Quantitative data showed the significantly instant or long-lasting improvements in emergency nurses' professional and work-related quality of life, as well as their self-compassion, and perceived social support. Various categories were summarized about the participants' experiences, perceived long-term effects, and suggestions on the multidimensional narrative support system.

Conclusion

The multidimensional narrative support system integrates narrative methods and psychological activities and provides multidimensional support for emergency nurses. In spite of various challenges, the system shows good feasibility and significant influences on emergency nurses' well-being and quality of life. Implications for Nursing Management. The multidimensional narrative support system may action as a novel intervention for the overall improvements of clinical emergency nurses, which can be recommended to other populations with targeted modifications and training, so as to achieve good generalization in different departments.

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.

Effectiveness of psychological interventions for compassion fatigue: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVES

Constant exposure to trauma and death adversely affects the physical, emotional, and mental stability of the helping professionals, leading to compassion fatigue (CF). Although research has explored the effect of various psychological interventions (PIs) on CF, no studies have quantitatively synthesized their effectiveness. Thus, the current systematic review and meta-analysis address this gap by examining the efficacy of PIs in reducing CF among helping professionals.

METHODS

Databases such as Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar were searched to identify studies published between 2004 and 2023. Quantitative studies published in English that used any PI to reduce CF of helping professionals were selected for analysis. The risk of bias in studies was evaluated using Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklists and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute quality assessment tool.

RESULTS

Of the 1995 records identified from databases, 82 intervention studies were included in the systematic review, and 11 randomized controlled trials were chosen for meta-analysis. Post-intervention means and SDs of the intervention group and the control group were used to run the meta-analysis. Random effects meta-analysis results revealed that PIs are highly effective in reducing CF (standardized mean difference (SMD) = -0.95; 95% CI, -1.63 to -0.27; P = .006).

CONCLUSION

Evidence suggests that PIs, especially online-delivered PIs, could reduce the CF of helping professionals. Health policymakers, concerned authorities, and intervention designers should focus on reducing the CF of helping professionals, as they need to work with vulnerable populations efficiently.

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.