The Impact of an Innovative Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program on the Health and Well-Being of Nurses Employed in a Corporate Setting

Abstract

This study implemented an innovative new model of delivering a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program that replaces six of the eight traditional in-person sessions with group telephonic sessions (tMBSR) and measured the program's impact on the health and well-being of nurses employed within a large health care organization. As part of a nonrandomized pre–post intervention study, 36 nurses completed measures of health, stress, burnout, self-compassion, serenity, and empathy at three points in time. Between baseline (Time 1) and the end of the 8-week tMBSR intervention (Time 2), participants showed improvement in general health, t(37) = 2.8, p < .01, decreased stress, t(37) = 6.8, p < .001, decreased work burnout, t(37) = 4.0, p < .001, and improvement in several other areas. Improvements were sustained 4 months later (Time 3), and individuals who continued their MBSR practice after the program demonstrated better outcomes than those that did not. Findings suggest that the tMBSR program can be a low cost, feasible, and scalable intervention that shows positive impact on health and well-being, and could allow MBSR to be delivered to employees who are otherwise unable to access traditional, on-site programs.

Integrating the Science of Addiction and the Science of Wellbeing

“…Psychology's old tried and true methods of cognitive-behavioral therapy certainly have earned their respected place in treatment protocol [71,72]. New constructs from Humanistic, Transpersonal, Existential and Integral psychological-philosophical perspective offer enhancement opportunity [73,74] Research review meta-analysis of positive psychological application finds consistent, concurrent support of increased self-efficacy and increased self-esteem, provide benefit in the treatment of SUD [75].…”

Organisational support for nurses in acute care settings: a rapid evidence review

“…[66,67] Both studies involved mindfulness training as an intervention, with one study employing a non-random pre and post test method to determine the impact of a telephonic Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program (tMBSR). [66] It was delivered by…”

“…A self-directed practice for relaxing the body and calming the mind through focussing on present moment awareness [66] .…”

Pilgrims together: leveraging community partnerships to enhance workplace resilience

“…Studies over the past three decades have linked mindfulness-that is, present moment awareness, coupled with an attitude of openness and non-judgement-to enhanced health outcomes and quality of life for patients with a wide range of diagnoses 2 . Furthermore, mindfulness has been associated with compassion for self and others, including improved therapeutic relationships [3][4][5][6] . This is an important development because workplace stress and burnout is increasing among healthcare professionals [7][8][9] , while patient advocates are calling for more compassion and empathy [10][11] .…”