Local Research on the Benefits of Mindfulness for Healthcare Professionals

In 2013 HHS and St Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton received a Health Work Environment Partnership and Innovation grant from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care to study the impact of Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) on healthcare providers. 125 healthcare professionals, including nurses, social workers, PT/OT, managers and others, were enrolled in the study. Pre and post surveys were completed to track changes in empathy and symptoms of burnout. Focus groups were conducted with participants one year later to explore the sustained impact of the program. The study by Sandra Moll, Andrea Frolic and Brenda Keys was recently published in the Journal of Hospital Administration. It found that participants experienced:

• significant increase in empathy and compassion

• significant decrease in burnout

• increased ability to listen mindfully to others

• less emotional reactivity

• enhanced skills in managing conflict

• an ability to integrate mindfulness into daily life both within and outside of work

Click here to read the full version of the study! Share with your colleagues!