Date of Conferral
8-1-2026
Date of Award
August 2026
Degree
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
School
Nursing
Advisor
Susan Huehn
Abstract
Nurse burnout and stress are well-documented occupational concerns in outpatient clinical settings, where high patient acuity and chronic staffing shortages leave nurses with little structured support for proactive self-care. To address this gap, a mindfulness-based STOP (stop, take a breath, observe, proceed) training program was developed and evaluated for outpatient nurses. The evidence-based practice question was: Among nurses in an outpatient clinical setting, what is the impact of a mindfulness-based STOP technique training on nurses' knowledge of stress and burnout prevention and self-efficacy in applying the technique? A one-group pretest-posttest design was used with eight participants. A project-developed questionnaire measured knowledge, applied understanding, and self-efficacy before and after training. Participants completed a single PowerPoint-delivered session covering the impact of burnout in nursing, along with instruction and guided practice in the STOP technique. Paired samples t-tests were used to compare pre- and post-training scores. Results showed statistically significant improvements in both outcomes. Knowledge of stress and burnout prevention increased from a mean of 6.9 (± 2.5) pre-training to 12.3 (± 0.7) post-training (p < .001), and self-efficacy in applying the STOP technique rose from 13.6 (± 1.4) to 22.8 (± 2.5) post-training (p < .001). Normalized gains for both measures fell largely within the high-gain category, indicating that even a single, brief in-person session produced meaningful change. Limitations included a small, single-site sample and scheduling barriers to staff participation due to clinical demands. In conclusion, these findings support the STOP technique as a feasible, low-cost, and effective self-care strategy for outpatient nurses. Formal integration into nurse orientation, annual competency training, and routine team meetings is recommended, along with a follow-up assessment to evaluate sustained use in practice. Future studies should examine long-term outcomes using larger, multi-site samples to strengthen generalizability and support broader adoption of this equity-focused approach to nurse well-being.
Recommended Citation
Afinni, Rukiat Abolanle, "A Mindfulness-Based STOP Technique Training to Improve Nurses’ Knowledge and Self-Efficacy in Stress and Burnout Prevention" (2026). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 20462.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/20462
