Othman, S.Y., Hassan, N.I. & Mohamed, A.M. Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on burnout and self-compassion among critical care nurses caring for patients with COVID-19: a quasi-experimental study. BMC Nurs 22, 305 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12912-023-01466-8 Link: https://rdcu.be/dopKC
The research paper describes a quasi-experimental prospective study conducted in Egyptian COVID-19 quarantine hospitals to investigate the impact of a mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) on nurse burnout, mindfulness, and self-compassion. The study included nurses working in COVID-19 ICUs who were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (received MBI) or the control group (did not receive MBI).
I found that the description of the intervention, which included a detailed table of the substance of the eight MBI classes, was well presented and provides a reader who has not taken the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course with a vivid and accurate picture of MBSR. This paper is highly readable and contains a wealth of references to other studies relevant to the stressors faced by Critical Care Nurses (CCNs) and the benefits of Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs).
Data were collected using questionnaires assessing burnout, mindfulness, and self-compassion. The intervention group received eight 2.5-hour MBI sessions over 2 months, while the control group received no intervention. The study found that nurses in the intervention group showed significant improvements in burnout, mindfulness, and self-compassion compared to the control group. The results suggest that MBI can be an effective intervention for reducing burnout and improving well-being among nurses caring for COVID-19 patients. The study highlights the importance of implementing mindfulness-based programs to support the mental health of frontline healthcare workers during challenging times.
Limitations of this study were the small sample size and absence of an active comparator.
