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Table 5 Interventions for pediatric nurse burnout

From: What is known about paediatric nurse burnout: a scoping review

Author(s)

Number of pediatric nurses

Type of intervention

Result

Edmonds et al. [42]

88

Care for the Professional Caregiver Program (CPCP): day-long retreat, includes didactic and discussion-based coverage of vicarious trauma, loss and adaptive coping with grief. Practical, group-based practice of coping strategies presented such as guided imagery, relaxation, body movement, and mindful breathing techniques that have been adapted for the workplace. Half of the subjects were randomly assigned to a booster session 6 months later.

Pediatric nurses showed greatest improvement in the group in EE scores 1 month post-intervention and 7 months post-intervention. The results not impacted by receiving booster session or not.

Gauthier et al. [47]

45

5-min daily mindfulness sessions. Conducted on the unit, as a group, facilitated by a mindfulness meditation instructor. Mindfulness CDs and booklets were distributed after the 1-month follow-up surveys were completed.

1) Intervention was found to be feasible for PICU nurses.

2) EE was negatively correlated with mindfulness at all three time points.

3) PA was positively correlated with mindfulness at all three time points.

4) DP was not correlated with mindfulness at time 3 but was negatively correlated with mindfulness at times 1 and 2.

Hallberg [50]

11

Systematic group clinical supervision was performed every third week for two full hours (14 sessions/28 h all together. Supervision performed by a registered nurse, with advanced training and extensive experience in psychiatric care.

The mean score of the tedium degree decreased over the 12 months significantly for mental exhaustion. There were no significant changes in the degree of burnout as measured by the MBI.

Moody et al. [68]

25

Mindfulness-based course (MBC): 8 weeks of didactic and experiential mindfulness education via a structured, skills-training course delivered in a group setting at their hospital.; designed and facilitated at each site by a team of two licensed clinicians with extensive training and experience; included journaling.

No significant differences between the groups at baseline or at follow-up on the MBI.

Morrison Wylde et al. [70]

95

Traditionally delivered mindfulness (TDM): Nurses in the TDM intervention group (September 2013) received one group session per week for 4 weeks led by a trained Buddhist Priest, taught within different activities. Participants were encouraged to practice mindfulness at other times during the day, but it was not mandatory or assigned as homework. Smartphone-delivered mindfulness (SDM): Nurses in the SDM received a free 3-month subscription to a guided mindfulness meditation platform available via website or smartphone application.

SDM group reported significantly more “acting with awareness” and marginally more “non-reactivity to inner experience” skills compared to the TDM group. The SDM group showed marginally more compassion satisfaction and marginally less burnout. The SDM group had a lower risk for compassion fatigue compared to the TDM group, but only when the nurses had previous sub-clinical post-traumatic symptoms.

Richter et al. [81]

17

Nurses helped in the development of intervention materials. Intervention package included five, short educational videos created to demonstrate to nursing staff and caregivers’ solutions to difficulties in caring for hospitalized children affected by HIV/AIDS. Sessions run every 2 weeks.

No changes in nurse well-being were found across the pre/post-intervention phases.

Post-intervention, patient mothers rated nurses as more supportive; mother-child interaction during feeding was more relaxed and engaged, babies were less socially withdrawn.

Rodrigues et al. [84]

33

Nursing know-how: skills in working with pediatric chronic pain: 90-min group session developed from previous knowledge needs assessment (Rodrigues et al. 2017). Modules contained education and case-based role play using nurse’s real experiences.

Significant improvements on both indicators of burnout—EE and DP—over the 3-month period. However, the proportion of nurses with high EE and DP is still high.

  1. EE Emotional Exhaustion, a subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory; DP Depersonalization, a subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory; PA Personal Accomplishment, a subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory; MBI Maslach Burnout Inventory; TDM traditionally delivered mindfulness; SDM smartphone-delivered mindfulness; MBC mindfulness-based course