Background:

Literature describes that nursing professionals are particularly prone to develop burnout, especially those who work in units with a high physical and psychological demand. Several studies have shown the technique of mindfulness (MBI) as a useful resource for the reduction of burnout in healthcare professionals, understood as simply stopping and being present, without mental judgments. The main goal of this study is to assess the impact of an intervention based on this technique.

Methods:

Exploratory pre-and post-intervention study (n=34 nurses). We implemented an 8-session mindfulness-based stress reduction intervention (MBSR) proposed by Shapiro and Carlson to measure participants' mindfulness and burnout levels. To evaluate the differences in the levels of mindfulness and burnout, we use a paired sample t-test. Finally, we analyze the correlation between session attendance and changes in burnout and mind-fulness levels of participants.

Results:

There was a significant increase of 12,36 points (p<0.001) in mindfulness level among participants. No differences in the total score of burnout were observed. However, the ratings in guilty and indolence components of burnout scale significantly fell. We found a positive correlation between attendance and the change in mindfulness levels. No effect was observed in burnout levels.

Conclusion:

This study shows a positive effect of the intervention in mindfulness learning and some facets of burnout (guilty and indolence) among nursing professionals.

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