The Effect of Mindfulness Exercises on Female Nurses’ Self-efficacy: An Experimental Study

Background & Aims: Lower self-efficacy of female nurses compared to male nurses has been reported in numerous studies. One of the consequences of low self-efficacy is reduced quality of care, especially in challenging situations. Mindfulness exercises can ameliorate self-efficacy by reducing stress. This study determined the effect of mindfulness exercises on the self-efficacy of female nurses. Materials & Methods: In this experimental research conducted on 60 female nurses working in Afshar Hospital in Yazd in 2018, the samples were selected using convenient sampling method and assigned into two case and control groups by simple random method. Mindfulness exercises were performed in eight two-hour sessions for the case group. The control group did not receive any intervention. The data were collected using the demographic information checklist and Sherer’s self-efficacy scale (1982) and analyzed by SPSS19 using descriptive and inferential statistics (chi-square, independent t-test and paired t-test). Results: The two groups were matched in terms of demographic characteristics (age, work experience, & education level). The mean self-efficacy score was not significantly different between the control group (47.23±5.65) and the case group before the intervention (46.36±3.89) (P=0.49). After the intervention, the mean score was 47.86±4.91 for the control group and 50.40±5.33 for the case group. Yet, based on the independent t-test, no statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups (P=0.06). Conclusion: The results revealed that mindfulness exercises do not exert any significant effect on the self-efficacy of female nurses. It is suggested that more research be conducted in this field by examining intervening factors with follow-up periods and a longer period of time.