Date of Award

Summer 2026

Document Type

Project – Full Written

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Committee Chair

Erin Montgomery

Abstract

Burnout among mental health professionals in inpatient behavioral health settings negatively affects staff well-being, job satisfaction, and patient care quality. This Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) quality improvement project evaluated the effectiveness of an 8-week mindfulness and gratitude journaling program implemented on a rural behavioral health unit in North Carolina. Guided by Jean Watson’s Theory of Human Caring, the intervention aimed to enhance resilience and workplace wellness through daily mindfulness and reflective journaling practices. A repeated cross-sectional design using anonymous pre- and post-intervention surveys was conducted with 30 staff participants. Thirty participants enrolled in the study, and 24 completed the post-intervention survey. Outcomes were measured using the Perceived Stress Scale and the Maslach Burnout Inventory subscales: Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment. Results demonstrated significant improvements in perceived stress and personal accomplishment. Perceived stress decreased by 35% (p < .001), while personal accomplishment increased by 15% (p = .044). Emotional exhaustion and depersonalization decreased by 14.1% and 10.4%, respectively, though these reductions were not statistically significant. Although the project did not achieve the targeted 20% reduction across all burnout domains, findings suggest the intervention positively influenced staff well-being. Participants reported high satisfaction with the program, citing improved coping skills and greater self-awareness. The intervention was cost-effective, adaptable, and feasible despite attendance variability in a demanding clinical environment. These findings support incorporating mindfulness and gratitude practices into organizational wellness 3 strategies to reduce stress, enhance professional fulfillment, and support workforce retention in rural healthcare settings.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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