Mindfulness Meditation in a Corporate Setting

Bazarko, Dawn M.

Tuesday, July 12, 2011: 10:50 AM

Dawn M. Bazarko, DNP, MPH, RN
Corporate, UnitedHealth Group, Minnetonka, MN

Learning Objective 1: Program participants will describe the impact of workplace and non-workplace stress on physical and psychological well-being and workplace productivity.

Learning Objective 2: Program participants will outline the positive benefits of mindfulness meditation and its impact on lowering stress and burnout, while improving compassion and serenity.

The aim of this study was to test a novel Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction intervention called tMBSR (telephonic) in a corporate setting to assess its impact on improving nurse well-being and overall effectiveness. Forty nurses receiving the intervention were compared with a control group (N=14) in this quasi-experimental study.

A consolidated survey instrument comprised of the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), SF12v2, Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Serenity Scale (SS), Jefferson Empathy Scale (JES), and the Kessler HPQ-Behavioral Solutions Questionnaire: Absenteeism and Presenteeism (HPQ) collected self-reported results from both groups at baseline (pre-program) and at program completion. Those receiving the intervention completed the same questionnaire four months post-program.

Those receiving the tMBSR program reported significant changes from Time 1 to Time 2 on perceived stress, t(37) = 6.8, p<.001; on all three scales of the CBI: personal burnout, t(37) = 6.1, p<.001; work burnout, t(37) = 4.0, p<.001; and client burnout, t(35) = 2.4, p<.05. Similarly, those in the intervention group reported statistically significant improvements in self compassion (SCS), t(37) = 6.9, p<.001; serenity (SS), t(37) = 8.9, p<.001; empathy (JES), t(33) = 8.9, p<.001; on the majority of the SF12v2 scales; and on the HPQ measure of presenteeism, t (37) = 2.6, p<.05. Those in the control group did not show any statistically significant changes from T1 to T2 on any survey item. Time 3 results found sustained improvements.

Typical MBSR delivery methods rely on a classroom format only; this innovative approach to MBSR offers a scalable, easily replicable and efficient delivery method available to any organization aimed at reducing employee stress and burnout, while improving self-compassion, empathy, and serenity. This is the first study indicating the potential to offer MBSR in a corporate environment to a variety of employees while preserving high program integrity and effectiveness.

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