key: cord-1016248-2oq3a2qa
authors: Murry, Logan T.; Witry, Matthew J.
title: The Value of Mindfulness During Trying and Uncertain Times
date: 2020-05-22
journal: Workplace Health Saf
DOI: 10.1177/2165079920922572
sha: 0546649984d743af25ed5e2cdcf90cbb01bc7f7f
doc_id: 1016248
cord_uid: 2oq3a2qa

nan

draws attention to the potential value of mindfulness and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) for nurses as a means of reducing occupational stress and fatigue. In recent weeks, healthcare workers across the country have seen exponential increases in occupational stress due to an overwhelming influx of patients with possible and confirmed cases of COVID-19. Healthcare institutions have made drastic changes to workflow, staffing, and organizational policy, with hopes of keeping patients and staff safe. At the time of this writing, the United States is only starting to see the impact of this pandemic, with millions of healthcare workers likely facing overwhelming circumstances in the months to come. With shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) and increasing patient volumes making the workplace increasingly stressful for nurses and healthcare professionals, MBSR has unprecedented value.

In alignment with Sos and Melton, the effects of occupational fatigue may present in patient safety and care (Sos & Melton, 2020) . Nurses and pharmacists are reporting a growing number of near-miss medication errors as a result of increased workload and occupational fatigue, which Pezzolesi et al. (2013) suggest may be mitigated through MBSR. Mindfulness-oriented meditations and MBSR activities may be a short-term solution for increasing occupational fatigue during impressible circumstances. Shapiro and Carlson (2009) have shown MBSR activities offer a variety of benefits related to professional resilience and patient safety. While hospitals located in high-density areas across the country are already experiencing elevated patient burdens, we fear these burdens will not only intensify in the weeks to come, but increasingly effect institutions in less-populated areas, often with fewer staff and resources. Now more than ever, "green-cape" interventions such as MBSR meditation should be strongly considered by nurses, pharmacists, and other health care practitioners to maintain personal and professional wellbeing while continuing the provision of safe, intentional, and present patient care.

With nurses arguably the most affected by these growing patient and institutional demands, it is important that managers provide and encourage the use of any and all available resources to improve workplace health and safety. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, subscriptions for two popular mindfulness-oriented meditation phone applications are being offered to healthcare workers at no-cost: 10% Happier and Headspace. Information on how to download these applications and acquire membership can be found at https://www. tenpercent.com (10% Happier) ("Coronavirus sanity," 2020) and https://www.headspace.com (Headspace) ("You're here for them," 2020). Both 10% Happier and Headspace offer guided meditations for a wide variety of emotions and experiences. Recently, both applications have adopted programming specifically aimed at the COVID-19 pandemic. These meditations may be co-opted by administration and management to provide short, intentional breaks for employees, with nurse managers organizing and/or leading groups of nurses and other healthcare staff in meditations. In doing so, mindfulness-oriented meditation and other MBSR activities may help nurses, pharmacists, and other providers focus on the present moment, protecting themselves from unwanted pathogen exposure. In addition, being present in patient care may decrease the risk of medication errors, an area of care requiring additional attention as levels of occupational fatigue and exhaustion rise. MBSR activities may be performed quickly and within the context of nursing practice, making it an optimal occupational stress management tool in overwhelming workplace environments.

In the coming weeks, it is possible that health care providers and staff across the country may experience some of the most trying days of our professional careers. We applaud the nursing community for identifying the potential benefits of MBSR, and further encourage the use of these practices during difficult, uncertain, and emotional times. We wanted to provide additional, low-cost opportunities to facilitate MBSR and encourage the use of MBSR applications as a mechanism to improve the wellbeing of the healthcare workforce. We are in this together, and the only way out is through.

Logan T. Murry https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0345-6997

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