Cultivating Resilient Doctor of Nursing Practice Leaders: Student Experiences With an Embedded Mindfulness Curriculum

Background: Nurses are essential leaders who champion the well-being of the health care workforce and lead by example by prioritizing self-care. Objective: To understand Doctor of Nursing Practice students’ (1) perceptions of a mindfulness curriculum and (2) experiences of applying mindfulness in their academic and professional lives. Methods: Postexposure surveys and semistructured focus groups were used in this curricular quality improvement project. Descriptive statistics were employed for survey data and directed content analysis for focus group text data. Findings: The curriculum was rated as acceptable, appropriate, and feasible by almost all (>90%) students. Two themes from focus groups were identified: mindfulness enhances personal and professional development, leadership, and stress management, and the ease of access to curriculum materials. Conclusions: This embedded mindfulness curriculum aligns with the American Association of Colleges of Nursing 2021 Essentials and supports Doctor of Nursing Practice students’ development of self-care and resilience while strengthening their leadership potential to promote self-care, personal health, and well-being.