The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation Exercises on Managing Stress Among New Graduate Nurses

Problem Statement: Studies reveal, approximately 33.5 % of new graduate nurses suffer from stress and burnout, forcing the nurse to leave the workforce within the first two years of transitioning into the role of a professional nurse (Heins, 2019). The Chief Nursing Officer of a large healthcare system in South Carolina confirms new graduate nurses are suffering from stress and burnout while transitioning into the role of the professional nurse (Personal communication, March 5, 2021). Purpose: The purpose of this project is to provide new graduate nurses\u27 mindfulness meditation exercises to help manage stress as mindfulness meditation has been proven to reduce stress and improve nurses’ wellbeing (van der Riet et al., 2018). Methods: Participants utilized an innovative phone application called Headspace to engage in mindfulness meditation exercises to help manage stress. Participants then completed electronic pre-and post-intervention perceived stress scale (PSS) questionnaires to assess their perceived stress. Analysis: A Paired sample t-test was used to determine the impact of meditation exercises on managing stress of new graduate nurse participants. Implications For Practice: Results of this DNP project reflected no statistically significant results. However, all participants post-intervention scores were reduced compared to pre-intervention scores, indicating that mindfulness meditation exercises positively impacted stress levels. Efforts will be made to disseminate this work as the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics recommends that nurses promote personal health and well-being (Purdue University Global, 2020)