The effect of mindfulness training on burnout syndrome in nursing: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Palliative care nurses are exposed to hard situations, death, and duel feelings in their daily practice. These, and other work stressors, can favor burnout development. Thus, it is important to analyze the prevalence and risk factors of burnout in palliative care nurses and estimate its prevalence. A systematic review and meta-analysis was done with quantitative primary studies. n = 15 studies were included with n = 6 studies including information for the meta-analysis. The meta-analytic prevalence estimation of emotional exhaustion was 24% (95% CI 16–34%), for depersonalization was 30% (95% CI 18–44%) and for low personal accomplishment was 28% with a sample of n = 693 palliative care nurses. The main variables related with burnout are occupational variables followed by psychological variables. Some interventions to improve working conditions of palliative care nurses should be implemented to reduce burnout.

Background: Ethically controversial medical procedures, such as the termination of pregnancy, are frequently associated with a discrepancy between personal attitude and values versus requirements related to a professional situation. The study aimed to assess emotional complications in midwives participating in pregnancy termination procedures. Methods: The study included 181 midwives working in state-governed healthcare facilities in central and eastern Poland. The Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI) and the present authors’ own questionnaire were used in the study. The results indicating the level of occupational burnout were presented in two scales: the exhaustion scale and the disengagement scale. Results: The study revealed that 48% of midwives had never participated in pregnancy termination procedures due to fetal defects. The level of occupational burnout described with the exhaustion factor (t = 2.06; p < 0.041) and disengagement factor (t = 2.96; p < 0.003) was significantly higher in the group of midwives participating in pregnancy termination procedures due to fetal defects than in the group of midwives who did not participate in pregnancy terminations. The most common factors contributing to burnout reported by midwives who participated in pregnancy terminations were: moral dilemmas (68%), seeing the aborted fetus (65%), anticipating the child’s death in case it was born with signs of life (59%) and the lack of professional psychological support for medical personnel (56%). Conclusions: Importantly, pregnancy termination should be performed by persons who find such procedures acceptable from the viewpoint of their value system. It is a protective factor in regards to work with women who undergo terminations. Moreover, developing a system of informational and psychological support for midwives participating in pregnancy termination procedures is also a significant aspect.

Aim The aim of this study was to study the simultaneous relationships of work pressure with the performance and well‐being of nurses and to explore whether mindfulness moderates these relationships. Design A cross‐sectional survey design. Method We conducted a cross‐sectional survey of 1,021 nurses from 103 Belgian care homes for older people, in 2017. Data were analysed using hierarchical multiple regression and simple slope analyses. Results Work pressure was positively associated with empathetic care, job performance and emotional exhaustion and negatively associated with work engagement. Mindfulness was positively related to empathetic care, job performance and work engagement and negatively related to emotional exhaustion. Regarding the moderations, mindfulness moderated the relationships between work pressure and both performance outcomes, as well as between work pressure and work engagement. Contrary to what we expected: (a) mindfulness showed no significant buffering effect of work pressure on emotional exhaustion; (b) the relationship between work pressure and both empathic care and job performance was stronger when mindfulness was low (vs. high); and (c) mindfulness strengthened instead of weakened the negative relationship between work pressure and work engagement. However, in high work pressure settings, more mindful individuals still had better job performance and work engagement outcomes than less mindful individuals. Conclusion Our findings explain conflicting outcomes on the effects of work pressure by suggesting that work pressure can function both as a hindrance and a challenge job demand depending on the outcome. Furthermore, by exploring the role of mindfulness as a personal resource, we add to the literature on the role of personal resources in the job demands–resources (JD‐R)‐model which is particularly relevant in the context of increasing work pressure. Impact Nurses are confronted with increasing work pressure. The present findings indicate that the implementation of mindfulness strategies can be beneficial for nurses dealing with work pressure, contributing to nursing practice and JD‐R theory.