Reducing burnout and enhancing mindfulness: a prospective longitudinal study of a wellness curriculum for first-year nursing students

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a two-part, thirteen-week holistic mindfulness intervention on perceived stress, burnout risk, mindfulness levels, life satisfaction, academic resilience, and first-semester retention among first-year nursing students. Background: First-year nursing students report significantly higher perceived stress rates than their non-nursing peers. Elevated stress and burnout levels can negatively impact retention. Upstream interventions that enhance students’ ability to manage stress and prevent burnout may help reduce stress, lower the risk of burnout, and improve resilience. Design: Longitudinal cohort study. Methods: Sixty-four first-year Bachelor of Science in Nursing students at a large public university completed a 13-week mindfulness intervention with a weeklong 6-day immersive program delivered before the first semester. Students completed well-being assessments measuring perceived stress, resilience, burnout, life satisfaction, and mindfulness (PSS, ARS, OBI, SWLS, and FFMQ) at campus arrival, end of the first week, and near the semester’s end. Results: Students demonstrated a significant increase in mindfulness. Those who progressed in the program exhibited a reduced risk of burnout and greater life satisfaction. There was no significant change in life satisfaction or perceived stress, and a slight decrease in academic resilience. Four participants did not progress from the first to the second semester, limiting analysis of the program’s influence on retention. The majority of students did progress. Conclusion: Future research should examine the role of baseline academic resilience and burnout in nursing program retention. Randomized controlled trials are needed to further assess the effectiveness of resilience and burnout interventions on nursing student well-being and retention.