Date of Graduation
Fall 12-15-2023
Document Type
Project
Degree Name
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
College/School
School of Nursing and Health Professions
Department/Program
Nursing
Program
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner
First Advisor
Dr. Trinette Radasa
Second Advisor
Dr. Jo Loomis
Abstract
Abstract
Background: Healthcare personnel (HCP) are at high risk of stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue (CF). Up to 50% of physicians and 33% of nurses experience burnout in the United States. Higher rates of burnout were noted during the recent SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic due to the increased need for mental health services among patients and HCP.
Problem: Stress, burnout, and CF are associated with increased medical errors, poor patient safety, and higher staff turnover rates. One-third of nurses report they intend to leave the profession because of burnout which contributes to financial burden for hospitals. A higher nurse turnover rate has been noted in the in-patient acute psychiatric setting, up to 55%, due to a stressful working environment. Although mindfulness-based interventions have been associated with reduced stress and burnout in several groups (e.g., students and veterans), mindfulness-based self-care measures are currently not well promoted in clinical settings.
Methods: An integrated literature review was conducted to find the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) in reducing stress, burnout, and CF in HCPs. Based on evidence, an MBI toolkit was developed, implemented, and evaluated. A seven-item pre-post-intervention survey was used to measure the knowledge about self-care, mindfulness, and the use of MBIs among the psychiatric healthcare staff. An open-ended question was used to get feedback about the toolkit.
Interventions: A mindfulness-based self-care toolkit was designed, implemented, and evaluated. To practice various MBIs, initial and weekly 30-minute practice sessions were conducted for four weeks. Resources like flyers and posters were used to educate staff about various MBIs.
Results: Twenty-one participants completed pre-post surveys. Results showed that the knowledge about the importance of self-care to prevent stress, burnout, and CF increased by 78.50%. Similarly, there was a 59.54% increase in knowledge about mindfulness and a 103% increase in the use of MBIs by staff. The open-ended question indicated the relevancy and usefulness of the toolkit and the need for in-person sessions for mindfulness practice.
Conclusions: The toolkit increased knowledge about mindfulness-based self-care among psychiatric hospital staff. The drastic increase in staff’s use of MBIs can indicate healthcare staff’s interest in adopting MBIs for self-care. However, the findings cannot be generalized due to a small sample size. Future research can be focused on comparing the feasibility and effectiveness of various MBIs among HCPs.
Recommended Citation
Bajwa, Harkirat Kaur, "Mindfulness Based Self Care Toolkit for Psychiatric Healthcare Staff" (2023). Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects. 351.
https://repository.usfca.edu/dnp/351
