Ninth International Conference on Health, Wellness & Society

Abstract

Health science graduate students have high levels of perceived stress which can negatively influence them both personally and professionally. In fact, graduate students experience worry, burnout, and compassion fatigue, often causing stress during clinical coursework. Mindfulness has a strong evidence base but its use in graduate education is still relatively new. We propose a mindfulness orientation for all students in the college of nursing and health professions. The intent of the training is for all students to have regular opportunities to practice self-care throughout their education. In the Fall of 2018, all students had regular access to mindfulness tools and strategies. Faculty were trained by mindfulness “ambassadors” who have a mindfulness practice of their own. Short activities and tools were woven into the day-to-day curriculum across the College. An online course shell was made accessible to all students and faculty. Pre and post data was collected across disciplines with a focus on direct patient care courses. We hope to prevent the ill effects of student stress and build a model for other programs to foster student self-care before they embark on their professional careers. We owe this to the the next generation of healthcare professionals and the communities they serve.