Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic placed healthcare workers, particularly those in high-risk units such as fever clinics, under immense occupational stress. While mindfulness is recognized as a protective factor against burnout, its specific mechanisms among frontline nurses during a public health crisis warrant further investigation. This study aimed to assess the levels of job burnout, perceived stress, workplace stressors, and mindfulness among fever clinic nurses, and to examine the effects of mindfulness on these occupational challenges. A cross-sectional study was conducted. A total of 375 fever clinic nurses completed an online survey between July 1 and September 30, 2022. Data were collected using the Chinese versions of the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), the Chinese version of the Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), and a custom Stress Source Scale. Pearson correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were employed for data analysis. W orkload and time pressure were identified as the primary workplace stressors (2.36 ± 0.67). Pearson correlation analysis indicated that mindfulness was significantly negatively correlated with emotional exhaustion ( r = −0.344, P < 0.01) and reduced personal accomplishment ( r = −0.298, P < 0.01) dimensions of burnout, perceived stress ( r = −0.264, P < 0.01), and the overall workplace stressors ( r = −0.299, P < 0.01). The structural equation model verified that mindfulness had a significantly negative impact on job burnout, perceived stress, and workplace stressors ( β = −0.375, −0.327, and −0.313, respectively; a ll P < 0.001). The findings confirm the protective role of mindfulness in alleviating burnout and stress among fever clinic nurses. An integrated “individual-organization” support model, combining mindfulness-based training with systematic workplace improvements, is recommended to safeguard the mental health of frontline nurses during ongoing public health challenges.
Zhang et al. (Sat,) studied this question.