Self-Care Skills to Prevent Burnout: A Pilot Study Embedding Mindfulness in an Undergraduate Nursing Course.

Burnout negatively affects nurses and increases nursing turnover. Many student nurses experience burnout throughout their academic program, negatively affecting student success and patient care. To explore effects of mindfulness education / self-care skills training in undergraduate nursing students on stress and self-care. A four-week pilot with four-week follow-up. In-person mindfulness sessions were offered to first-year nursing students. 67 students enrolled in a nursing skills course. Four in-person mindfulness educational sessions were provided with a 4-week follow-up. Outcomes were stress and self-care, measured by the Perceived Stress Scale and Mindful Self-Care Scale at pre-, post-, and follow-up. 58 (86.6%) completed pilot; mean age = 22.8 (5.75), majority females (84%) and Caucasian (79%). Students practicing one or more mindfulness techniques at least 8 times outside class increased self-care 9.5% pre- to post-intervention ( = .01), although not sustained at follow-up. Stress did not change significantly in either direction ( = .94), potentially mediating the stress of starting clinical immediately following the intervention. Mindfulness education increased self-care in first-year nursing students who practiced mindfulness outside class. Recommendations include further research and integration of mindfulness into courses to assess benefits and coping skills for future nurses.