Aim
To analyse the effect of mindfulness training on levels of burnout among nurses.
Background
Burnout syndrome is a common occupational hazard for nursing staff. Mindfulness training has been proposed as a valid intervention for burnout.
Design
Systematic review and meta‐analysis.
Data sources
The CINAHL, LILACS, Medline, ProQuest, PsycINFO, Scielo and Scopus databases were consulted, using the search equation ‘Nurs * AND burnout AND mindfulness’. There was no restriction on the year of publication.
Review methods
Papers were selected for analysis in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines. The meta‐analysis was carried out using Review Manager 5.3 software.
Results
The sample was of 17 articles including 632 nurses. Mindfulness training reduces levels of burnout, producing lower scores for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and higher for personal accomplishment. The differences in the means were 1.32 (95% CI: −9.41–6.78), 1.91 (95% CI: −4.50–0.68) and 2.12 (95% CI: −9.91–14.14), respectively, between the intervention and control groups.
Conclusion
Mindfulness training reduces the emotional burden and hence levels of burnout, among nurses. However, further randomized clinical trials are required.