FNP Clinical Family Practice Issue
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FNP Clinical Family Practice Issue
Nurse practitioners should recommend and utilize evidence-based interventions with their clients. They choose interventions with sufficient evidence documented regarding their effectiveness in addressing a clinical issue of interest. Nurses should develop a clear PICOT question to direct inquiry and facilitate a comprehensive database search to gather relevant evidence (Melnyk & Fineout-Overholt, 2019). The clinical issue of interest is high rates of burnout among nurses who are handling patients during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The purpose of this discussion is to develop a PICO question and utilize it to locate evidence supporting the impact of mindfulness on the mental health of nurses who are working with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Burnout among nurses who are handling patients during the COVID-19 pandemic is highly significant. The reason is that it impacts negatively on the safety and health outcomes of patients and their families (Monroe et al., 2021). The proposed intervention is the implementation of mindfulness to improve the mental health of nurses and address burnout. The PICO that will direct research states “What evidence exists to support the use of mindfulness to positively impact the mental health of nurses working with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic?”
Published literature supports the positive impacts of mindfulness in addressing burnout among nurses who are working with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The studies include; Cunningham and Çayir (2021), Chan et al. (2021), Kusman et al. (2022), Monroe et al., (2021), Nourian et al. (2021), Timko et al. (2020), Tolouian et al. (2022), and Vitale (2021). The reviewed articles are relevant for the clinical issue of interest and the PICO because they contain evidence indicating that mindfulness positively impacts the mental health of nurses working with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature review adds to the existing body of knowledge by generating new evidence that guides healthcare organizations to implement mindfulness to improve the mental health of nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses with improved mental health are able to provide quality healthcare that will impact positively on patient outcomes (Monroe et al., 2021; Kusman et al., 2022; Cunningham & Çayir, 2021).
References
Cunningham, T., & Çayir, E. (2021). Nurse leaders employ contemplative practices to promote healthcare professional well-being and decrease anxiety. The Journal of Nursing Administration, 51(3):156-161. doi: 10.1097/NNA.0000000000000987. PMID: 33570373.
Chan, S. L., Takemura, N., Chau, P. H., & Lin, C. C., & Wang, M. P. (2021). Psychological impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on licensed full-time practicing nurses undertaking part-time studies in higher education: A cross-sectional study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(16):8569. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168569. PMID: 34444322; PMCID: PMC8391214.
Kusman, I., Maria, K., & Kurnia, H. Y. (2022). The effect of mindfulness breathing meditation on psychological well-being. Holistic Nursing Practice, 36(1), 46-51. doi: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000464.
Melnyk, B. M., & Fineout-Overholt, E. (2019). Evidence-based practice in nursing & healthcare: a guide to best practice. Fourth edition. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer.
Monroe, C., Loresto, F., Horton-Deutsch, S., Kleiner, C., Eron, K., Varney, R., & Grimm, S. (2021). The value of intentional self-care practices: The effects of mindfulness on improving job satisfaction, teamwork, and workplace environments. Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, 35(2), 189–194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apnu.2020.10.003
Nourian, M., Nikfarid, L., Khavari, A. M., Barati, M., & Allahgholipour, A. R. (2021). The impact of an online mindfulness-based stress reduction program on sleep quality of nurses working in COVID-19 care units: A clinical trial. Holistic Nursing Practice, 35(5), 257-263. doi: 10.1097/HNP.0000000000000466. PMID: 34407023.
Timko, E. R., Hansen, M. M., & Vermeesch, A. (2020). Mindfulness and Shinrin-Yoku: Potential for physiological and psychological interventions during uncertain times. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24), 9340. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17249340. PMID: 33327407; PMCID: PMC7764859.
Tolouian, A., Wholeben, M., & Rankin, D. (2022). Teaching mindfulness to mitigate burnout in a pandemic. Journal of Trauma Nursing, 29(1), 51-54. doi: 10.1097/JTN.0000000000000631. PMID: 35007253.
Vitale E. (2021). The mindfulness and the emotional regulation skills in Italian nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A descriptive survey-correlational study. Journal of Holistic Nursing, 39(4), 345-355. doi: 10.1177/08980101211015804.