ABSTRACT

Healthcare systems that support happy staff members will ensure happier and healthier patients, and better patient outcomes.

The pandemic highlighted the need for a supportive work environment that includes psychological safety, mindfulness, and self-care for healthcare workers. The 2022 National Nursing workforce survey shows a dramatic shift with the loss of hundreds of thousands of RNs from the workforce. Strong employee engagement has been linked to positive patient outcomes and satisfaction scores. Healthcare systems that support staff will ensure happier and healthier patients, and positive patient outcomes. The Ambulatory Infusion Center (AIC) is a high stress,dynamic,fast paced environment.Staff exhibit signs of stress,burnout,and compassion fatigue without utilization of mindfulness strategies and tools to overcome challenges.Compassion fatigue (CF) is imperative to define as nurses are caring for sick, injured, or dying patients. A mindfulness professional conducted group sessions for staff. These sessions focused on stress and anxiety management,self-discovery, being present, with guided mindfulness, and daily tips. Surveys were collected and managed using a REDCap electronic data tool. The surveys were performed at one-week intervals and four months post intervention. The surveys showed an overwhelming improvement in staff well-being. The sustainability plan is to conduct mindfulness meetings and perform a guided mindfulness practice at morning huddle. Mindfulness brings joy and positively impacts a person in and outside the workplace.