From burnout to resilience: A clinician-codesigned digital mindfulness intervention for nurses and resident physicians.
This pilot study suggests that a mobile app-based mindfulness training program may help reduce burnout and anxiety among healthcare professionals, but further research is needed to confirm these findings.
Where it sits
this study against the rest of the melanotan 1 corpusSummary and findings
This pilot feasibility study evaluated the effects of a mobile app-based mindfulness training program on burnout and psychological outcomes among registered nurses and resident physicians. The intervention included seven digital modules, with average completion times of 28 days for nurses and 30 days for residents. Significant reductions in cynicism and emotional exhaustion were observed among nurses, while residents showed reductions in emotional exhaustion and anxiety.
Abstract
<h4>Objective</h4>Burnout is a persistent issue among healthcare professionals, impairing both patient care and provider well-being. This pilot feasibility study evaluated the preliminary effects of a brief, mobile app-based mindfulness training (MT) program, developed using a user-centered design approach, in reducing burnout and improving psychological outcomes among registered nurses and resident physicians.<h4>Methods</h4>Two single-arm pilot trials were conducted. Participants completed the digital MT intervention and online assessments at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. Study 1 included 27 registered nurses; Study 2 included 29 resident physicians. While the intervention consisted of seven digital modules, the average completion time was 28 days (SD = 15) for nurses and 30 days (SD = 16) for residents, reflecting a self-paced delivery model. The primary outcome was cynicism, with secondary outcomes including emotional exhaustion, anxiety, depression, intolerance of uncertainty, self-compassion, nonreactivity, non-judgment, worry, sleep disturbances, and emotion regulation difficulties.<h4>Results</h4>Among nurses, significant reductions were associated with participation for cynicism (27%) and emotional exhaustion (28%), with decreased scores maintained at follow-up. Additional post-intervention improvements included reduced anxiety (46%), depression (52%), worry (7%), sleep disturbances (16%), and emotion regulation difficulties (11%). Increases were also found in self-compassion (13%), nonreactivity (8%), and non-judgment (9%). Among residents, significant reductions in cynicism did not persist after correction for multiple comparisons. However, residents showed significant reductions in emotional exhaustion (19%), anxiety (32%), intolerance of uncertainty (14%), emotion regulation difficulties (13%) and sleep disturbances (15%) at follow-up as well as early increases in self-compassion (21%) and nonreactivity (19%) and reduction in worry (13%). Emotional exhaustion and anxiety were consistently correlated across time points in both groups.<h4>Conclusions</h4>These findings replicate and extend previous evidence among physicians, supporting the feasibility and preliminary benefits of brief and self-paced app-based mindfulness training (MT) in addressing burnout and anxiety among both nurses and residents. These pilot results provide a basis for future randomized controlled trials to further evaluate the intervention's effectiveness.
Background
This paper addresses the issue of burnout among healthcare professionals, which negatively impacts patient care and provider well-being. Previous studies have indicated that mindfulness interventions may alleviate symptoms of burnout. This study is significant as it explores a digital approach to mindfulness training, which could enhance accessibility for healthcare workers.
Methods
Two single-arm pilot trials were conducted with registered nurses (n=27) and resident physicians (n=29). Participants completed the digital mindfulness training and online assessments at pre-intervention, post-intervention, and one-month follow-up. The primary outcome was cynicism, with secondary outcomes including emotional exhaustion, anxiety, and depression.
Results
Among nurses, there was a 27% reduction in cynicism and a 28% reduction in emotional exhaustion post-intervention. For residents, emotional exhaustion decreased by 19% and anxiety by 32% at follow-up. The results indicate that while some improvements were significant, not all findings persisted after corrections for multiple comparisons.
Interpretation
The findings suggest that the digital mindfulness training may have potential benefits for reducing burnout and anxiety, particularly among nurses. However, the effect sizes for some outcomes, especially among residents, were not consistently significant after adjustments. The small sample sizes and lack of control groups limit the generalizability of the results.
Key findings
- 27% reduction in cynicism among nurses post-intervention.
- 28% reduction in emotional exhaustion among nurses post-intervention.
- 46% reduction in anxiety among nurses post-intervention.
- 52% reduction in depression among nurses post-intervention.
- 19% reduction in emotional exhaustion among residents at follow-up.
- 32% reduction in anxiety among residents at follow-up.
Limitations
- small sample size (n=27 nurses, n=29 residents)
- no control group
- pilot study design limits generalizability
- short follow-up period