Nurse Leader Mindfulness Meditation Program for Stress Management

A brief mindfulness meditation course reduced self-reported stress symptoms among nurse leaders more than a leadership course. Thirty-three nurse leaders were randomly assigned to either a four-week mindfulness meditation course or a leadership course. Those in the mindfulness group showed significantly greater improvement on the Positive Symptom Distress Index and Global Severity Index, and nearly significant improvement on Positive Symptom Total, compared with controls. The results suggest the mindfulness intervention is preliminarily effective for reducing stress in this population.

Study at a glance

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to rigorously evaluate a brief stress management intervention for nurse leaders. BACKGROUND: Despite the nursing shortage, evidence-based workplace approaches addressing nurse stress have not been well studied. METHODS: Nurse leaders (n = 33) were randomly assigned to brief mindfulness meditation course (MMC) or leadership course (control). Self-report measures of stress were administered at baseline and within 1 week of course completion. RESULTS: Among MMC participants, change scores (from baseline to postintervention) on several subscales of the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised showed significantly more improvement in self-reported stress symptoms relative to controls. Mindfulness meditation course participants had significantly more improvement in Positive Symptom Distress Index (P = 0.010; confidence interval [CI] = -0.483 to -0.073) and Global Severity Index (P = 0.019; CI = -0.475 to -0.046) and nearly significantly more improvement in Positive Symptom Total (P = 0.066; CI = -16.66 to 0.581) compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Results support preliminary effectiveness of a 4-week MMC in reducing self-reported stress symptoms among nursing leaders.