Impact of Mindfulness Practice on Compassion Fatigue in Pediatric Cardiovascular Critical Care Nurses: A Quality Improvement Project

Background: A considerable proportion of the extant literature on healthcare has documented compassion fatigue (CF) as a major factor that contributes to poor job performance, satisfaction, and negative patient outcomes (Figley, 2002). CF is well known to negatively impact patient care and outcome, relationships, and job satisfaction among pediatric cardiovascular intensive care (CVICU) nurses. Developing interventions to reduce burnout and CF bear the potential to reduce costs and improve quality care; one particularly promising approach in this regard is the practice of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to determine the impact of an abbreviated MBSR program delivered through a mobile application intended to help the pediatric CVICU nurses identify and target the symptoms of CF. Method: This project implemented a six-week MBSR program, delivered via the mindfulness smartphone-based application Insight Timer with a group of pediatric CVICU nurses. Result: A total of 15 participants completed this project. The participants’ burnout and stress scores decreased, while their mindfulness and compassion scores increased after the project was completed. Participants’ reflections revealed that they became aware of their emotions and the variables contributing to their emotional distress. Conclusion: The abbreviated MBSR curriculum demonstrated an innovative but practical platform utilizing a mobile application shown to help busy CVICU nurses. Conclusively, the project showed that MBSR was effective in alleviating fatigue and cultivating nurses\u27 emotional well-being