Audai A. Hayajneh et al. (2024). The Effect Of A Mindfulness Intervention (MI) On Sleep Disturbance (SD) Among Nurses. *Scientific Reports*, 14. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-55748-5.
This study reports that Sleep Disturbance (SD) among nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) poses a significant challenge, affecting their performance and potentially leading to medical errors and health issues. SD is characterized by inadequate sleep, which can have detrimental health effects. Critical care nurses often experience SD due to various factors, impacting their ability to provide quality care. SD not only affects nurses’ cognitive performance but also increases the risk of health issues like obesity and heart diseases. To address this issue, a study investigated the impact of a mindfulness intervention (MI) on SD among nurses. The randomized controlled trial involved 100 nurses from Jordanian hospitals.
The study found that baseline SD levels were notably high among nurses, with MI significantly reducing SD levels and improving sleep quality. The study focused on comparing the effects of MI versus watching mindfulness videos on SD in nurses.
The research design employed a randomized controlled trial with 100 participants divided into an interventional group and a comparison group. The interventional group received four one-hour live MI sessions “conducted by an expert certified in psychotherapy, educational counseling, and MI” over four weeks. The comparison group watched mindfulness videos in four one-hour sessions. Data were collected using validated scales; the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS) and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI).
The study revealed that both groups, MI and video-watching, showed improvements in mindfulness awareness over the study period. However, the MI group had significantly higher scores than the comparison group. PSQI scores indicated that both groups experienced enhanced sleep quality, with the MI group showing a more substantial improvement. The findings confirmed that MI effectively reduced SD levels and enhanced sleep quality among nurses, aligning with previous studies on the benefits of mindfulness interventions. Implementing MI in nursing practice is recommended to support nurses in managing SD and improving overall well-being. The study emphasizes the need for ongoing research with larger sample sizes and longer intervention durations to further explore the impact of MI on nurses’ sleep patterns.
The study also demonstrates that brief MI programs can have a beneficial effect on nurse well-being. MI programs can be a valuable strategy to combat the adverse effects of SD. Nursing administrators are encouraged to promote and support mindfulness initiatives to improve nurses’ sleep quality and overall job performance.
