BURNOUT & STRESS REDUCTION IN PSYCHIATRIC NURSES THROUGH MINDFULNESS-BASED STRESS REDUCTION INTERVENTIONS

There are over twenty million healthcare workers at risk for mental health problems (MHP) in the U.S. due to demanding work environments. Research revealed that 93% of health workers endorse being stressed out, 82% feel mentally and physically drained, and 45% reported that they were not receiving adequate emotional support. Burnout (BO) and stress among PNs have been evaluated to be higher among other nursing specialties. Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) interventions efficiently reduce BO and stress among PNs. The evidence shows that MBSR interventions lowered the PNs work stress, while improving their emotional regulation and self-efficacy to relieve their negative emotions. The Kolcaba Comfort Theory guided this project. Purpose: Decrease the experience of BO and stress with the implementation of MBSR interventions in PNs. This projected aimed to identify causes of BO and stress, assess changes in BO and stress levels before and after completing the implementation of MBSR interventions, and develop recommendations for management of BO and stress reduction for the PN. Methods: This QI project employed a pretest-posttest design. A convenience sample of 10 nurses at a psychiatric hospital participated in MBSR education sessions. The project survey collected participant’s sociodemographic characteristics. Two validated tools; the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Services Survey (MBI-HSS) and Perceived Stress Scale-10 (PSS-10), measured BO and perceived stress levels. The data was collected before and after the completion of MBSR education sessions. Eligibility included participants to be 18 years old or older, English-speaking nursing staff, who provide direct psychiatric care to patients. Exclusion criteria included participants who reported experiencing exacerbating symptoms of mental illness. Daily MBSR usage was collected in a ballot box. QI macros® and Intellectus Statistics™ was used to analyze participant demographics and pre-test baseline data for BO and stress. Results: There was a statistically significant difference in EE, DP, PS levels between before and after implementation of MBSR implementation, respectively (M=3.31 vs M=1.49, p=<.001; M=1.60 vs 0.74, p=.083; M=2.16 vs M=1.99, p=.301). No statistically significant difference was observed in personal accomplishment (M=4.06 vs M= 5.04; p=.059). Overall, BO and stress was reduced and deep breathing MBSR intervention was used most readily. Implication for Practice: The future use of MBSR interventions to decrease BO and stress includes the PN and all nurses working in variable specialties. The everyday practice of mindfulness allows for MBSR interventions to be performed anytime, anywhere, or in response to a stressful situation. Recommendations for practice change include ongoing mental health service to mitigate BO and stress, APP reminders for MBSR daily use, and its inclusion in mental health wellness training for staff.