Mindfulness-based interventions to reduce stress and burnout in nurses: an integrative review

Abstract

Background/Aims With work-related stress and the current COVID-19 pandemic, nurses are at heightened risk of stress and burnout. Mindfulness-based interventions have been seen to decrease stress and burnout, yet research into the effectiveness for nursing staff is limited. This review adds to the growing body of literature surrounding mindfulness and explores the benefit it may have for clinical professionals. The aim of this study was to review and critically appraise the evidence around the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions to help reduce stress and/or burnout in nurses working in acute hospital settings. Methods The CINAHL, Medline and PsychInfo databases were searched using the key words Mindfulness, ‘Mindfulness-based’, MBSR, Nurs*, Stress and Burnout. Results A total of 11 research papers were identified, all of which found a reduction in stress and burnout for nurses working in acute hospital settings after the use of a mindfulness-based intervention. Mindfulness-based interventions can be adapted to suit nursing schedules while maintaining efficacy, but uncertainties remain around the optimisation of the length and delivery of these for integration into the NHS. Conclusions Mindfulness-based interventions may be an effective intervention to reduce stress and burnout in nurses working in acute settings. However, further research to establish and test a standardised mindfulness-based intervention is required before it could be implemented into NHS settings.