Pre-shift Mindfulness: An Evidence Based Practice Benchmark Project

Although a nursing shortage has existed for some time, it seems there is currently a flight of both experienced and young clinicians from the bedside. Over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, healthcare organizations have seen dramatic increases in turnover and vacancy rates, leading to severe staffing shortages and compromised patient care. Historically, nursing has been a caring, service driven profession, and a calling for millions of professionals. However, nurses are increasingly concerned with their personal wellbeing. The term “burnout” appeared in the 1970s to describe the consequences of severe stress in “caring” professions, and include symptoms such as exhaustion, disengagement, and reduced professional efficacy (Reith, 2018). Burnout in nurses may be influenced by stress, resilience, and overall well-being, and impacts job performance, patient care and outcomes, and the well-being of healthcare systems. This paper will explore an evidence-based wellness intervention designed to prevent, alleviate, or mitigate the effects of stress and burnout in the nursing workforce. A brief mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) activity will be provided to staff at morning shift huddles for two weeks, including guided meditations and deep breathing exercises. Effectiveness will be measured using questionnaires containing the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) and the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), as well as qualitative questions. This project will be fully implemented in ten weeks. The costs of nursing turnover and agency staffing are well documented and can have millions of dollars in impact yearly to the operations of health systems. Implementation of brief MBSR on one unit is estimate