Effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on burnout and self-compassion among critical care nurses caring for patients with COVID-19: a quasi-experimental study

BACKGROUND: Workloads in intensive care units (ICUs) have increased and extremely challenging ethical dilemmas were generated by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. ICU nurses experience high-stress levels and burnout worldwide. Egyptian studies on the effectiveness of mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) among ICU nurses are limited, although MBI has been shown to reduce stress and burnout. METHODS: This quasi-experimental study included 60 nurses working in three hospitals in El-Beheira, Egypt. Participants were randomly allocated to one of the two groups: intervention or control (30 participants per group). The participants in the intervention group (MBI) received 8 MBI sessions, whereas the control group received no intervention. The Maslach Burnout Inventory, the Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ), and the Self-Compassion Scale were used to assess the outcomes. Additionally, demographic and workplace data were collected. RESULTS: The post-test score of emotional exhaustion after MBI for 8 weeks significantly decreased in the MBI group to 15.47 ± 4.44 compared with the control group with 32.43 ± 8.87 (p < 0.001). The total Self-Compassion Scale significantly increased because of the mindfulness sessions 94.50 ± 3.83 for the MBI group vs. 79.00 ± 4.57 for the control group (p < 0.001). The post-test score of the FFMQ significantly increased to 137.03 ± 5.93, while the control group’s score decreased to 114.40 ± 7.44, following the MBI sessions (p < 0.001). As determined by Cohen’s d test, the effect size of MBI training is quite large, on the three burnout scale dimensions (emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal achievement), as well as the total score of the mindfulness and self-compassion scales. CONCLUSION: This study provides preliminary evidence that MBI sessions were effective in reducing emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and increasing levels of mindfulness and self-compassion among critical care nurses.