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8076 Mindful minute – introducing mindfulness to the NICU
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Journal Article
8076 Mindful minute – introducing mindfulness to the NICU
2025
Overview
BackgroundThere has been an increasing focus on staff wellbeing in recent years with emphasis on safeguarding the health and mental wellbeing of our workforce. The NHS workforce face many challenges and around 40% of respondents in the 2023 NHS Staff survey reported feeling unwell as a result of work-related stress in the preceding 12 months (National Results across the NHS in England | NHS Staff Survey., 2024). Staff within the PICU or NICU setting have been found to be at high risk of burnout (Butcher et al., 2023). There is increasing evidence that mindfulness-based activities can have positive impact in the workplace with studies reporting increased collaboration, improved decision making and a more productive and compassionate workplace (Hilton et al., 2019; Johnson et al., 2020; Kersemaekers et al., 2018).ObjectivesThis project aimed to introduce short mindfulness exercises during morning handovers in the neonatal unit. The 1-2 minute activities were conducted 2-3 times a week over five weeks in July and August 2024. The impact was assessed through pre- and post-activity questionnaires, with overall programme evaluation conducted at the end.MethodsPrior to the sessions, a leaflet explained the project. Five mindfulness activities were planned, supported by short video resources:Week 1 – Mindful EatingWeek 2 – Progressive Muscle RelaxationWeek 3 – Mini MeditationWeek 4 – Box BreathingWeek 5 – Desk YogaSessions began at 8:15 before handover. A session leader introduced the activity, followed by a brief video-guided exercise. Participants completed anonymous pre- and post-activity surveys, answering questions on focus, calmness, handover readiness, and preparedness for the shift ahead (or leaving the shift behind). Responses were rated on a 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree) Likert scale, with higher scores indicating more favourable responses. Post-activity surveys included a free-text option for comments.ResultsAverage scores for the pre- and post-exercise surveys were calculated, with a total average of 16.8 participants (pre) and 14.8 (post) per session. All surveys showed an increase in scores after the activities (see figure 1). Weeks 4 (Box Breathing) and 5 (Desk Yoga) had the highest impact, though initial scores were lower, possibly due to a busier workload.Abstract 8076 Figure 1Average Likert Scale Scores pre and post across all activities[Figure omitted. See PDF]ConclusionThe mindfulness activities were well received and increased staff feelings of calm and focus. Feedback suggested that longer activities would be preferred, though this could conflict with handover time. This pilot project demonstrated the potential for mindfulness exercises in intensive care settings and could inform future staff wellbeing programmes in the Neonatal Unit and beyond.ReferencesButcher, I., Morrison, R., Balogun, O., Duncan, H., St Louis, K., Webb, S., & Shaw, R. (2024). Burnout and coping strategies in pediatric and neonatal intensive care staff.Clinical Practice in Pediatric Psychology, 12(1), 16–30. https://doi.org/10.1037/cpp0000474Hilton, L. G., Marshall, N. J., Motala, A., Taylor, S. L., Miake-Lye, I. M., Baxi, S., Shanman, R. M., Solloway, M. R., Beroesand, J. M., & Hempel, S. (2019). Mindfulness meditation for workplace wellness: An evidence map. Work (Reading, Mass.), 63(2), 205–218. https://doi.org/10.3233/WOR-192922Johnson, K. R., Park, S., & Chaudhuri, S. (2020). Mindfulness training in the workplace: exploring its scope and outcomes. European Journal of Training and Development, 44(4–5), 341–354. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-09-2019-0156/FULL/XMLKersemaekers, W., Rupprecht, S., Wittmann, M., Tamdjidi, C., Falke, P., Donders, R., Speckens, A., & Kohls, N. (2018). A Workplace Mindfulness Intervention May Be Associated With Improved Psychological Well-Being and Productivity. A Preliminary Field Study in a Company Setting. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 195. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.001955. National results across the NHS in England | NHS Staff Survey. (2024). Retrieved August 22, 2024, from https://www.nhsstaffsurveys.com/results/national-results/
