Virtual Reality Mindfulness for Nursing Stress and Burnout

Burnout has been a term that has been researched since the 1970’s; however, it has been noted that throughout the past few years there has been increased burnout amongst healthcare workers. Mindfulness has been researched as a tool to decrease burnout and stress. The delivery of mindfulness activity has been completed through different avenues such as in-person and virtual. The purpose of this research project was to evaluate the effectiveness of virtual reality mindfulness experiences and the burnout rates amongst nursing staff in the ambulatory units of a VA Healthcare System. Six nursing staff members volunteered to participate in the scholarly project. Completion of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) tool was collected pre-intervention and again post-intervention. The intervention provided education materials on mindfulness and had staff participate in a 10-minute mindfulness experience via the virtual reality headset. The VR headset had the TRIPP application loaded and provided the mindfulness experience. Statistical analysis of the MBI pre and post intervention were completed utilizing an independent t-test. Results of the MBI tool showed a 0.91 decrease in emotional exhaustion, a 0.654 decrease in depersonalization, and a 0.18 increase in personal accomplishment. Nursing vacancy rates were examined; however, there was not substantial data due to the short intervention time. Limitations of a small sample size and technology were the most noted throughout the project.