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Effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention on oncology nurses’ burnout and compassion fatigue symptoms : A non-randomized study

Duarte, Joana LU and Pinto-Gouveia, José (2016) In International Journal of Nursing Studies 64. p.98-107
Abstract

Background Job stress and burnout are highly frequent in healthcare professionals, and prevalence in nurses can be as high as 40%. Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing stress and increasing well-being in a wide range of populations and contexts. However, controlled studies with healthcare professionals, and especially nurses, are scarce. Objectives, design and setting The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an on-site, abbreviated mindfulness-based intervention for nurses, using a nonrandomized, wait-list comparison design. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured through several validated self-report measures that participants completed before and after the... (More)

Background Job stress and burnout are highly frequent in healthcare professionals, and prevalence in nurses can be as high as 40%. Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing stress and increasing well-being in a wide range of populations and contexts. However, controlled studies with healthcare professionals, and especially nurses, are scarce. Objectives, design and setting The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an on-site, abbreviated mindfulness-based intervention for nurses, using a nonrandomized, wait-list comparison design. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured through several validated self-report measures that participants completed before and after the intervention, assessing burnout, compassion fatigue, psychological symptoms, mindfulness, self-compassion, experiential avoidances, rumination, and satisfaction with life. Participants A sample of 94 oncology nurses agreed to participate in the study and self-selected into an experimental (n = 45) and comparison condition (n = 48). Complete data was obtained for 48 of the initial 94 participants, mainly due to poor follow-up data rather than high drop-out rate. Results Statistical analyses included a series of 2 × 2 ANOVAs and ANCOVAs. Results indicated that nurses in the intervention reported significant decreases in compassion fatigue, burnout, stress, experiential avoidance, and increases in satisfaction with life, mindfulness and self-compassion, with medium to large effect sizes. Nurses in the comparison group didn't present significant changes in these variables. Results also pointed to a high degree of acceptability of the intervention. Conclusions This study provides preliminary evidence that mindfulness-based interventions may be efficacious in reducing oncology nurses’ psychological symptoms and improving their overall well-being, and thus may be worthy of further study in this population.

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author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Burnout, Compassion fatigue, Mindfulness-based intervention, Nurses, Oncology, Stress
in
International Journal of Nursing Studies
volume
64
pages
10 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • pmid:27744228
  • scopus:84991666664
ISSN
0020-7489
DOI
10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.10.002
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Funding Information: This research was supported by the first author’s Ph.D. Grant no. SFRH/BD/81416/201 , sponsored by FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) , Portugal, and co–sponsored by ESF (European Social Fund) , Belgium, through Portuguese POPH (Human Potential Operational Program).
id
c5746867-532a-45bc-8abf-ef00adda83f8
date added to LUP
2021-11-18 12:53:31
date last changed
2024-04-20 16:58:17
@article{c5746867-532a-45bc-8abf-ef00adda83f8,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background Job stress and burnout are highly frequent in healthcare professionals, and prevalence in nurses can be as high as 40%. Mindfulness-based interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing stress and increasing well-being in a wide range of populations and contexts. However, controlled studies with healthcare professionals, and especially nurses, are scarce. Objectives, design and setting The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of an on-site, abbreviated mindfulness-based intervention for nurses, using a nonrandomized, wait-list comparison design. The effectiveness of the intervention was measured through several validated self-report measures that participants completed before and after the intervention, assessing burnout, compassion fatigue, psychological symptoms, mindfulness, self-compassion, experiential avoidances, rumination, and satisfaction with life. Participants A sample of 94 oncology nurses agreed to participate in the study and self-selected into an experimental (n = 45) and comparison condition (n = 48). Complete data was obtained for 48 of the initial 94 participants, mainly due to poor follow-up data rather than high drop-out rate. Results Statistical analyses included a series of 2 × 2 ANOVAs and ANCOVAs. Results indicated that nurses in the intervention reported significant decreases in compassion fatigue, burnout, stress, experiential avoidance, and increases in satisfaction with life, mindfulness and self-compassion, with medium to large effect sizes. Nurses in the comparison group didn't present significant changes in these variables. Results also pointed to a high degree of acceptability of the intervention. Conclusions This study provides preliminary evidence that mindfulness-based interventions may be efficacious in reducing oncology nurses’ psychological symptoms and improving their overall well-being, and thus may be worthy of further study in this population.</p>}},
  author       = {{Duarte, Joana and Pinto-Gouveia, José}},
  issn         = {{0020-7489}},
  keywords     = {{Burnout; Compassion fatigue; Mindfulness-based intervention; Nurses; Oncology; Stress}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  pages        = {{98--107}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Nursing Studies}},
  title        = {{Effectiveness of a mindfulness-based intervention on oncology nurses’ burnout and compassion fatigue symptoms : A non-randomized study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.10.002}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2016.10.002}},
  volume       = {{64}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}