Impact of program to improve nurses’ skills in confronting ethical challenges

Editor's Note

This study by nurse researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing, Baltimore, examines the long-term impact on nurses who completed an experiential educational program to improve their skills in mindfulness, resilience, and competence in confronting ethical challenges.

The program called the Mindful Ethical Practice and Resilience Academy (MEPRA) consists of six, 4-hour workshops conducted over 12 weeks.

The study involved surveys of 245 nurses at four points during the program—baseline, immediately after completing the program, and at 3- and 6 months afterward.

The results of the program were generally sustained for months afterward. The most robust effects were improvements in ethical confidence, moral competence, resilience, work engagement, and mindfulness, along with decreased burnout as measured by emotional exhaustion, anger, and depression.

Some outcomes, including anxiety and empathy, were not improved immediately afterward but were significantly improved at 3 months.

Turnover intentions were significantly decreased from baseline to immediately after the program and at 3 months, but improvements were not sustained at 6 months.

The researchers conclude that MEPRA is effective in improving outcomes that are important in cultivating nurses’ moral efficacy, mindfulness, and resilience and in sustaining the improvements over time.