TY - JOUR
T1 - Experimental Mindfulness Intervention in an Emergency Department for Stress Management and Development of Positive Working Environment
AU - Argyriadis, Alexandros
AU - Ioannidou, Louiza
AU - Dimitrakopoulos, Ioannis
AU - Gourni, Maritsa
AU - Ntimeri, Georgia
AU - Vlachou, Chrisi
AU - Argyriadi, Agathi
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 by the authors.
PY - 2023/3
Y1 - 2023/3
N2 - Mindfulness-based interventions have increasingly gained the interest of health professionals in the last decade, especially practices that are short, economical, easily accessible, and physically, cognitively, and psychologically compelling. Nurses of Emergency Departments are a special, dynamic, but at the same time vulnerable group of health professionals who work in shifts and face multiple challenges. Considering the recent literature and the fact that stress and a hostile work environment are the top ranked health professionals’ challenges, there is a need for a further study of the use of mindfulness. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the application of mindfulness on nurses in the Emergency Department on several factors related to daily nursing practice and that directly affect these specific health professionals. This experimental study was performed on 14 participating nurses in the Emergency Department of a Public General Hospital in Athens, randomized into two groups: a control and an intervention group. The data collection tools were two digital smart devices, participatory observation, and semi-structured interviews. By practicing mindfulness meditation, the participating nurses in the intervention group showed improvement in their cognitive functions (attention, thinking, memory, concentration), professional interpersonal relationships, personal satisfaction and communication with patients and caregivers, sleep rate, negative emotions, and behaviors. The findings suggest that the application of mindfulness practices should be considered an easy, affordable, economical, accessible, and effective method that nurses can use to strengthen and empower themselves, enjoying its multiple benefits. The effectiveness of the application of mindfulness remains an important issue for future research in other health professionals as well.
AB - Mindfulness-based interventions have increasingly gained the interest of health professionals in the last decade, especially practices that are short, economical, easily accessible, and physically, cognitively, and psychologically compelling. Nurses of Emergency Departments are a special, dynamic, but at the same time vulnerable group of health professionals who work in shifts and face multiple challenges. Considering the recent literature and the fact that stress and a hostile work environment are the top ranked health professionals’ challenges, there is a need for a further study of the use of mindfulness. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the application of mindfulness on nurses in the Emergency Department on several factors related to daily nursing practice and that directly affect these specific health professionals. This experimental study was performed on 14 participating nurses in the Emergency Department of a Public General Hospital in Athens, randomized into two groups: a control and an intervention group. The data collection tools were two digital smart devices, participatory observation, and semi-structured interviews. By practicing mindfulness meditation, the participating nurses in the intervention group showed improvement in their cognitive functions (attention, thinking, memory, concentration), professional interpersonal relationships, personal satisfaction and communication with patients and caregivers, sleep rate, negative emotions, and behaviors. The findings suggest that the application of mindfulness practices should be considered an easy, affordable, economical, accessible, and effective method that nurses can use to strengthen and empower themselves, enjoying its multiple benefits. The effectiveness of the application of mindfulness remains an important issue for future research in other health professionals as well.
KW - experimental intervention
KW - health psychology
KW - mindfulness
KW - positive working environment
KW - stress management
KW - well-being
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U2 - 10.3390/healthcare11060879
DO - 10.3390/healthcare11060879
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85172115321
SN - 2227-9032
VL - 11
JO - Healthcare (Switzerland)
JF - Healthcare (Switzerland)
IS - 6
M1 - 879
ER -