Description
Book SynopsisThis textbook is an evidenced-based course for interdisciplinary healthcare professionals for improving resilience and reducing stress and burnout. This curriculum improves patient-centered care by providing training in compassion and attention. It is a structured skills-based manual complete with resources for full implementation and dissemination of this evidence-based course. This textbook addresses the gaps existing in other mindfulness-based interventions.
It is a unique manual that can be followed in a linear fashion or can be used modularly to suit the needs of specific settings. The curriculum contains didactic content and specific examples of practices; hence, it is easily adaptable for use by groups and classes of various sizes and structure. The authors have conducted several research studies with findings to support its use to prevent and treat burnout. Results demonstrate the curriculum’s feasibility and acceptability in healthcare professionals and students as well as efficacy in stress and burnout reduction with increases in dispositional mindfulness.
Table of ContentsForeword – Sharon Salzberg, Amy Weintraub, Michael Krasner, or Susan Bauer-Wu
Part 1: Introduction and OverviewChapter 1: How to Use This Book: Teaching and Learning Mindfulness for NursesHealthcare ProfessionalsThis chapter serves as a guide for using this book and is geared toward students of a course using this as a textbook as well as those who will teach this manualized curriculum. This chapter reinforces that an important active ingredient of the curriculum is the development of one’s personal mindfulness practice, including that of the instructor teaching the course. This chapter provides an overview of the layout of Part 2 in which chapters are organized by a) key concepts, b) suggested activities and practices for each session, c) tips for instructors, d) hand-outs and resources, and e) formal mindful movement and meditation practice.
Supplemental material for this chapter: Direction on how to use curriculum materials, resources for the instructor’s mindfulness practices, and how to create a safe space and adapt materials according to the audience. Recommendations will be provided about making the most of your setting by engaging transdisciplinary experts as instructors (e.g., leaders for meditation, yoga, and discussion).Chapter authors: Sarah Braun and Patricia Kinser
Chapter 2: Evidence to Support Mindful Nurses and Healthcare Professionals
Introduce and define relevant terms including mindfulness and compassion. Discuss the need in medicine and healthcare for these concepts and the trainings that cultivate them. Provide overview on the research to support the use of mindfulness by interdisciplinary healthcare professionals and students. It also includes research on this curriculum specifically, presenting quantitative and qualitative data.
Spiritual dimension in the exploration of mindfulness as this is fundamental to the delivery of holistic careChapter authors: Sarah Braun and Patricia Kinser
Chapter 3: CompassionThe nurses and Hhealthcare professional faces the extremes of human suffering without being taught how to handle this suffering. We forget the human element of the healthcare professional. This chapter will focus on the concept of compassion as a container in which all the skills / strategies / practices presented in this curriculum are held.
Review of current resources and practices available for healthcare professionals facing suffering. existing good practice set against the challenges all healthcare professionals face when confronted with suffering, frailty and their own vulnerability and mortalityChapter authors: Sarah Braun and Christopher Guerry
Chapter 4: Being Mindful in a Mindless WorldThis chapter will focus on key mindfulness concepts such as intention, attitude, and attention. It will acknowledge the often seemingly conflicting goals of professionalism and mindfulness, of practical living and emotional functioning to set the stage for delivering this curriculum to interdisciplinary healthcare professionals.Chapter authors: Jordan Quaglia , Sarah Braun, Patricia Kinser
Part 2: The CurriculumChapter 5: Module 1: Introduction to MindfulnessKey concepts: stress cycle, defining mindfulness, defining compassion, finding the contemplative practice that meets an individual’s needs, goals of mindfulness and compassionate intentions (creating the ‘pause’), research about mindfulness, developing a home practice
Activities and practices: Stop/Breathe/BeHand-outs / Resources: Stop/Breathe/Be, list of research articles, Artfulness link, video links, meditation recordingFormal mindful movement and meditation practice: Invite a yoga teacher to lead a 45-minutes of gentle alignment-based yoga practice ending with a brief body scan, sequences provided as examples, 5-minute focused-attention breath meditation
Supplemental material for this chapter/Tips for instructors: acknowledge paradox of perfectionism vs. realism, resources for instructor self-care, creating a safe space and confidential space, importance of and how to find guest speakersChapter authors: Patricia Kinser and Sarah Braun
Chapter 6: Module 2: Mindfulness to Enhance Resilience and Handle BurnoutKey concepts: check-in about home practice, define and discuss burnout, mindfulness and neuroplasticity, effortful to effortlessActivities and practices: partner/group discussion – describe a time when you were burnt out and discuss healthy / unhealthy ways of coping, formal ‘hand’ practice, signs of burnout and non-negotiables worksheet Hand-outs / Resources: handout for using stickers with Stop/Breathe/Be, signs of burnout and non-negotiables worksheet, meditation recordingFormal mindful movement and meditation practice: Invite a yoga teacher to lead 45-minutes of gentle alignment-based yoga practice ending with a brief body scan and up to 20 minutes of focused-attention breath meditation
Supplemental material for this chapter/ Tips for instructors: managing group dynamicsChapter authors: Sarah Braun and Patricia Kinser
Chapter 7: Module 3: Applications of Mindfulness as a NurseHealthcare ProfessionalKey concepts: check-in about home practice, introduce the Yerkes-Dodson curve and finding the ‘sweet-spot’, creating space for informal practice, teaching mindfulness to othersActivities and practices: story-telling about being in the sweet-spot, informal mudra practice, walking meditation Hand-outs / Resources: meditation recordingFormal mindful movement and meditation practice: Invite a tai-chi or Qi gong teacher to lead 45-minutes of practice, sequences provided as examples, 10 to 15-minute awareness of thoughts meditation (e.g., leaves on a stream, conveyor belt, labelling thoughts)
Supplemental material for this chapter/ Tips for instructors: being comfortable with silenceChapter authors: Patricia Kinser, Christopher Guerry, Jo Robins, and Sarah Braun
Chapter 8: Module 4: Interpersonal Mindfulness and Compassionate Patient CareKey concepts: check-in about home practice, revisit personal intention statement, discuss SMART goals, teaching mindfulness to patients, awareness of automatic thoughts, compassionate listeningActivities and practices: partner teaching informal mindfulness practices, gratitude journaling, Hand-outs / Resources: SMART goals handout, 21 Ways to Practice Handout, meditation recordingFormal mindful movement and meditation practice: Invite a yoga teacher to lead a 45-minutes of gentle alignment-based yoga practice ending with a brief body scan, sequences provided as examples, 15-minute sensation meditation (positive, neutral, and negative)
Supplemental material for this chapter/ Tips for instructors: self-disclosure (what to share and how to share it)Chapter authors: Sarah Braun and Patricia Kinser
Chapter 9: Module 5: Mindful Teams and LeadershipKey concepts: check-in about home practice, discuss team functioning,
Activities and practices: self-assessment of conflict management, discuss mindful leadership concepts, awareness / understanding / responding mindfully, social intelligence, research about mindfulness in the context of leadership and teamworkHand-outs / Resources: Self-assessment of Conflict Management Quiz, video link, meditation recordingFormal mindful movement and meditation practice: Walking meditation (outside if feasible), 15-minute loving-kindness meditation
Supplemental material for this chapter/ Tips for instructors: how to inspire people who might not be practicing at home yet
Chapter 10: Module 6: Mindfulness in the Presence of SufferingKey concepts: check-in about home practice, sympathy / empathy / compassion, empathic distress vs. compassionate responding, balancing healthcare professionalclinician goals with patient-centered care, brief intro into concepts of motivational interviewing and the righting reflex, self-compassion
Activities and practices: paired compassionate listening, self-compassion breakHand-outs / Resources: Self-compassion break, video links, meditation recordingFormal mindful movement and meditation practice: Invite a yoga teacher to lead a 45-minutes of gentle alignment-based yoga practice ending with a brief body scan, sequences provided as examples, 15-minute loving-kindness OR Tonglen meditation
Supplemental material for this chapter/ Tips for instructors: preparing for participant distress (Chris Woods)Chapter authors: Sarah Braun, Chris Woods, and Patricia Kinser
Chapter 11: Module 7: Mindfulness and Compassion in the Face of ImperfectionKey concepts: check-in about home practice, mindfulness in the context of our humanity, transparency and compassion in the face of errors, research on mindfulness and patient safety
Activities and practices: “too tight too loose” breathing meditation, panel discussion on self-care as necessity not an indulgenceHand-outs / Resources: video link, meditation recordingFormal mindful movement and meditation practice: 15-minutes of gentle stretching, sequences provided as examples, 45-minute yoga nidra practice on carrying opposites
Supplemental material for this chapter/ Tips for instructors: how to find and organize panel speakers Chapter authors: Sarah Braun and Patricia Kinser
Chapter 12: Module 8: Finding Balance Through Mindful LivingKey concepts: check-in about home practice, pulling together the past key concepts, resources for continued practice
Activities and practices: individual completion of worksheet and group discussion on personal intention statement, and revisiting SMART goals Hand-outs / Resources: Personal intention statement worksheet, resources hand-out, meditation recordingFormal mindful movement and meditation practice: Invite a yoga teacher to lead 45-minutes of gentle alignment-based partner yoga practice ending with a brief body scan, sequences provided as examples, 15-minute meditation by participant request
Supplemental material for this chapter/ Tips for instructors: bringing together relevant resources for continued practiceChapter authors: Patricia Kinser and Sarah Braun
