ABSTRACT
Self-compassion, a way of relating to oneself like a good friend, may be an essential skill for healthcare professionals to develop in order to cope with the stressors of their job and avoid burnout, secondary traumatic stress, and other mental health problems during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study examined the acceptability and feasibility of an online version of the 6-session Self-Compassion for Healthcare Communities program (SCHC) during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Similar to in-person studies of the program, participants (n = 37) reported significant increases in self-compassion and mindfulness, and significant decreases in burnout, secondary traumatic stress, depression, and stress from pre to post intervention. Number of sessions attended predicted gains in self-compassion and increases in self-compassion predicted changes in mindfulness, secondary traumatic stress, burnout, depression, and resilience decompression. Online programs such as SCHC may be an accessible way to support healthcare professionals' mental health even after the pandemic is over.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Resilience is a critical skill for nurses and other healthcare professionals, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet few nurses receive training that promotes emotional awareness and regulation, resilience, and self-compassion. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand if attending a one-day workshop format of the Self Compassion for Healthcare Communities (SCHC) program would improve pediatric nurses' resilience, well-being, and professional quality of life. DESIGN AND METHODS: Following a quasi-experimental design, pre, post, and follow-up surveys were acquired from 22 nurses who attended the training and 26 nurses who did not attend the training. In a linear mixed models regression analysis, changes in self-compassion, mindfulness, compassion, resilience, job engagement, professional quality of life (compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress), depression, anxiety and stress were analyzed between groups. RESULTS: Participants in the intervention exhibited significant increases in self-compassion, mindfulness, compassion to others, resilience and compassion satisfaction, and significant decreases in burnout, anxiety, and stress compared to the non-intervention group. CONCLUSIONS: A one-day SCHC training program provides nurses with knowledge and skills to increase their resilience and support their emotional well-being and professional quality of life. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Nurses' schedules may hamper their ability to attend lengthy resilience trainings, yet the skills needed for resilience are crucial to decreasing burnout, empathy fatigue, and turnover. Offering an effective, one-day training provides an accessible alternative for nurses to gain knowledge and skills that increase resilience.