A highly effective mindfulness intervention for burnout prevention and resiliency building in nurses

Maryanna Klatt; Jacqueline Caputo; Julia Tripodo; Nimisha Panabakam; Slate Bretz; Yulia Mulugeta; Beth Steinberg; Maryanna Klatt; Jacqueline Caputo; Julia Tripodo; Nimisha Panabakam; Slate Bretz; Yulia Mulugeta; Beth Steinberg

doi:10.3934/publichealth.2025007

AIMS Public Health

2025, Volume 12, Issue 1: 91-105. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2025007

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Research article Special Issues

A highly effective mindfulness intervention for burnout prevention and resiliency building in nurses

Center for Integrative Health, Department of Family and Community Medicine, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA

Received: 25 May 2024 Revised: 06 September 2024 Accepted: 28 November 2024 Published: 14 January 2025

Objectives
Healthcare workers, most notably nursing professionals, face high levels of recurrent stress that lead to symptoms of burnout and other negative mental health outcomes. This indicates the need for greater individual and organizational health system support, including implementation of effective, evidence-based interventions for burnout reduction in this population. Organizationally supported mindfulness-based interventions can be used to build individual resilience, buffering the detrimental effects of occupational stress and enhance professional well-being. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of an evidence-based mindfulness intervention on perceived stress, burnout, resilience, and work engagement in nursing professionals.
Methods
A non-randomized single arm, pre/post design was used for this study. Healthcare workers (n = 631), including Registered Nurses and Advanced Practice Nurses (n = 128), physicians (n = 105), social workers (n = 21), pharmacists (n = 8), chaplains (n = 30), physician and occupational therapists (n = 39), patient care assistants (n = 13), other clinical staff (n = 26), non-clinical staff (n = 229), and 32 others participated in Mindfulness in Motion, an 8-week evidence-based worksite mindfulness intervention. Validated self-report measures assessing burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), resilience (Connor Davidson Resiliency Scale), and work engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Score) were given pre and post program. Total burnout was determined by scores on the subscales of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment of the Maslach Burnout Inventory: Emotional exhaustion >27 or depersonalization >13 or personal accomplishment <31.
Results
Significant reductions in burnout (p < 0.00001), perceived stress (p < 0.00001), with significant increases in resilience (p < 0.00001), and work engagement (p < 0.00001) were observed among Registered and Advanced Practice Nurses comparing pre-post measures. Notably, the number of nursing professionals who no longer qualified as burned out was 10% higher than the other participants.
Conclusion
Our results suggest that nursing professionals could greatly benefit from organizationally supported mindfulness-based interventions such as Mindfulness in Motion and may benefit them most compared to other health system employees.
- burnout,
- resilience,
- mindfulness-based interventions,
- organizational interventions,
- healthcare worker burnout
Citation: Maryanna Klatt, Jacqueline Caputo, Julia Tripodo, Nimisha Panabakam, Slate Bretz, Yulia Mulugeta, Beth Steinberg. A highly effective mindfulness intervention for burnout prevention and resiliency building in nurses[J]. AIMS Public Health, 2025, 12(1): 91-105. doi: 10.3934/publichealth.2025007

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Abstract

Objectives

Healthcare workers, most notably nursing professionals, face high levels of recurrent stress that lead to symptoms of burnout and other negative mental health outcomes. This indicates the need for greater individual and organizational health system support, including implementation of effective, evidence-based interventions for burnout reduction in this population. Organizationally supported mindfulness-based interventions can be used to build individual resilience, buffering the detrimental effects of occupational stress and enhance professional well-being. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of an evidence-based mindfulness intervention on perceived stress, burnout, resilience, and work engagement in nursing professionals.

Methods

A non-randomized single arm, pre/post design was used for this study. Healthcare workers (n = 631), including Registered Nurses and Advanced Practice Nurses (n = 128), physicians (n = 105), social workers (n = 21), pharmacists (n = 8), chaplains (n = 30), physician and occupational therapists (n = 39), patient care assistants (n = 13), other clinical staff (n = 26), non-clinical staff (n = 229), and 32 others participated in Mindfulness in Motion, an 8-week evidence-based worksite mindfulness intervention. Validated self-report measures assessing burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory), perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale), resilience (Connor Davidson Resiliency Scale), and work engagement (Utrecht Work Engagement Score) were given pre and post program. Total burnout was determined by scores on the subscales of emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment of the Maslach Burnout Inventory: Emotional exhaustion >27 or depersonalization >13 or personal accomplishment <31.

Results

Significant reductions in burnout (p < 0.00001), perceived stress (p < 0.00001), with significant increases in resilience (p < 0.00001), and work engagement (p < 0.00001) were observed among Registered and Advanced Practice Nurses comparing pre-post measures. Notably, the number of nursing professionals who no longer qualified as burned out was 10% higher than the other participants.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that nursing professionals could greatly benefit from organizationally supported mindfulness-based interventions such as Mindfulness in Motion and may benefit them most compared to other health system employees.

Acknowledgments

This study is not funded by any agency and was conducted by the authors independently.

Authors' contribution

Maryanna Klatt designed the study, directed the research program, and wrote the manuscript with input from all authors. Jacqueline Caputo managed the implementation of the research intervention, analyzed the data, and assisted with writing the Results and Discussion sections of the manuscript. Julia Tripodo and Nimisha Panabakam assisted with writing the Introduction and Discussion sections of the manuscript and organizing references for citation. Slate Bretz assisted with implementation of the research intervention, collection of data, and review of the manuscript. Yulia Mulugeta assisted with writing the Discussion section and reviewed the manuscript. Beth Steinberg contributed to implementation of the research intervention and the writing of the Introduction and Discussion sections of the manuscript. All authors discussed the results and commented on the manuscript.

Conflict of interest

The authors state that there is no conflict of interest in this document.

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