Mindfulness for Health Care Providers

     "While the use of mindfulness is steadily growing as a component of intervention by healthcare professionals, there is also a growing interest in the use of mindfulness for the healthcare provider. Recent studies delineate how the use of mindfulness improves practitioners’ work lives by increasing self-awareness and openness to new ideas, focus, and patience that contribute to enhanced client intervention as well as fostering a more healthy approach to living. Additionally, studies specifically exploring the effects of teaching mindfulness to undergraduate, medical, counseling, and nursing students demonstrated positive effects on their roles as students and future clinicians. Specific results included significant decrease in levels of depression, mood disturbance, and anxiety, as well as increased mental clarity, self-awareness, and concentration. Schure et al. (2008) showed how students personally benefited from learning mindfulness, including an increased comfort level with silence during sessions and a greater attentiveness with clients. Students in this study report an intention to continue to practice mindfulness given its demonstrated value to them as students and future clinicians." 

        Gura ST. Mindfulness in occupational therapy education. Occup Ther Health Care 2010; 24(3): 266-73. 

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