Abstract
BACKGROUND: Intensive care units (ICUs) are high-risk, high-stress environments that substantially increase the likelihood of nursing staff becoming second victims (SVs). However, current research on mindfulness interventions for ICU nurses facing SV effects is limited, particularly due to the lack of systematic intervention protocols tailored to the specific work scenarios of ICU staff. AIM: This study aims to construct and evaluate the effectiveness of a mindfulness-based SV intervention support programme for ICU nurses. METHODS: A retrospective case-control design was employed. The experimental group comprised ICU nurses who experienced adverse events between January and December 2023 (n = 50) and received a mindfulness-based support programme. The control group (n = 54) consisted of nurses who reported adverse events between January and December 2022 and received routine psychological support. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed by comparing the incidence of adverse events, Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) scores and SV experience and support tool (SVEST) scores. RESULTS: During the intervention, the incidence of adverse events among ICU nurses in the experimental group decreased by 34%. The results from the PSQI scores indicated that the sleep quality of nurses in the experimental group was significantly better than in the control group after the intervention. Specifically, the PSQI score in the experimental group decreased from 12.94 ± 2.03 at baseline to 9.32 ± 2.13 post-intervention, whereas the control group's score only decreased from 12.76 ± 2.21 to 10.72 ± 1.99. The time effect, intergroup effect and interaction effect of the intervention were all significant (P < 0.01). Additionally, after the intervention, the total SVEST score in the experimental group (76.18 ± 11.74) was significantly lower than that in the control group (91.52 ± 12.71). CONCLUSION: The mindfulness-based support programme effectively alleviates the psychological distress experienced by ICU nurses as SVs, improves sleep quality and enhances the overall support effect. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.