Can Alternative Medicine Prevent Burnout?

TON - March/April 2011, VOL 4, NO 2 — April 11, 2011

©Copyright Bigstock.com/NejroNBurnout is a common problem among nurses. A 2008 study in the Online Journal of Issues in Nursing reported that 44% of nurses aged <30 years and 38% of nurses aged ≥30 years experience “acute” burnout. In the hopes of reducing job-related stress, Kent State University’s College of Nursing has joined forces with the Urban Zen Foundation, run by fashion designer Donna Karan, to implement a program that teaches nurses to care for themselves using principles of alternative medicine.

Karan’s foundation operates the Urban Zen Integrative Therapy (UZIT) program, which integrates various holistic practices designed to help heal the mind and body. UZIT incorporates yoga, essential oil therapy, Reiki, nutrition, and contemplative caregiving.

The College of Nursing launched the UZIT “Care for the Caregiver” class as a pilot program in September 2010, enrolling 30 advanced nursing students. The class met monthly in person and then provided weekly online Webinars. Students were required to document their progress with the Eastern techniques in a journal.

Kent State University College of Nursing is one of the largest nursing schools in the country. Laura Dzure c, dean of the college, believes these efforts to teach nursing students how to manage work-related stress and head off burnout could have a lasting effect on the profession and ultimately lead to better patient care. The college is offering the class again this semester and eventually hopes to make it available to all its nursing students. You can learn more about UZIT at www.urbanzen.org

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