Mindfulness meditation intervention improves the mindfulness awareness level of nurses’ second victims to enhance their psychological support

INTRODUCTION: The medical staff involved in adverse events, referred to as second victims, usually suffer second victim syndrome endangering their health. Still, there are few organizational support projects in this area in China. OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of mindfulness meditation on the level and needs of organizational support, and mindfulness awareness among nurses as second victims. METHODS: Forty-six nurses from a comprehensive tertiary hospital in Wuhan, China were selected to participate in the study. This study was conducted using a convenience sampling method for eight weeks of mindfulness meditation intervention. The Second Victim Experience and Support Tool and Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale were used to assessing the need for support and mindfulness awareness of nurses prior to intervention, during the fourth and eighth weeks of intervention, and at the conclusion of the intervention course. RESULTS: The difference between the scores measured before the intervention, in the fourth week, and in the eighth week of intervention showed that the need for the second victim support from work-related organizations was significant (F = 34.513, p = .000); there was no significant difference in the scores related to the need for nonwork-related support of the second victim in the participating nurses (F = 1.373, p = .257); the scores of the level of mindfulness awareness were (64.85 ± 11.41), (68.63 ± 11.33), and (71.20 ± 8.41), a significant difference (F = 18.848; p = .000) was found in terms of before and after the intervention; nurses’ second victim support needs gradually shifted from evasion to confronting problems appropriately. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness meditation intervention is applicable to the second victim population of nurses. It is an effective way to support second victim nurses and can effectively improve their level of mindfulness and awareness.