Effect of Yoga on Nurse Burnout

Background: Burnout is the result of emotional exhaustion (EE), depersonalization (DP), and decreased personal accomplishments (PA). When burnout is experienced, it can create an unhealthy environment for the nurses and patients. Methods: Nurses participated in an eight-week yoga course which focused on hatha yoga practices to teach postural alignment, relaxation and meditation, mindfulness, and selfawareness. Those who participated completed the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) questionnaire pre- and post-intervention to measure burnout levels. Results: The paired sample t-test with a 5% level of significance found a statistically significant reduction in EE (p = 0.0001) and DP (p = 0.0074) subscale score from the preto post-intervention scores. There was not a statistically significant increase in the PA (p = 0.4026) subscale score from pre- to post-intervention. Discussion: By participating in an eight-week hatha yoga course, there was evidence of reduction in burnout components: EE and DP among float nurses. Previous research has found that yoga can improve self-awareness, coping mechanisms, compassion, sense of control, and mindfulness. Implications for Practice: The implementation of yoga for nurses was associated with a reduction in burnout indicators. This low-cost intervention could be implemented widespread to help reduce nurse burnout and potentially reduce nurse turnover