Nurses caring for COVID-19 patients face prolonged high-intensity workloads. Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has shown benefits in reducing stress, fatigue, and anxiety, yet evidence among nurses working in high-risk infectious disease settings remains scarce. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the effects of an MBSR program on workplace fatigue, fear of COVID-19, and psychological well-being among frontline nurses. A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 120 nurses from a Taiwanese tertiary hospital, assigned to either an 8-week MBSR intervention (n = 60) or control group (n = 60). Outcomes were measured at baseline and 8 weeks using the Workplace Fatigue Scale, the Anxiety and Fear of COVID-19 Assessment Tool, and the Chinese Health Questionnaire-12. Statistical analyses used independent t-tests and generalized estimating equations (GEE). Participants had a mean age of 32.8 years (SD = 6.1), with 85% female and an average of 9.4 years (SD = 5.2) of clinical experience. Compared with the control group, the MBSR group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in workplace fatigue (β = –25.47, p < 0.001) and fear of COVID-19 (β = –8.55, p < 0.001), as well as significant improvements in psychological well-being (β = –1.00, p = 0.009). An 8-week MBSR program effectively reduced workplace fatigue and fear of COVID-19, and improved psychological well being among frontline nurses. These findings support the use of MBSR as a scalable intervention for future infectious disease outbreaks. 

Chou-Ping Chiou earned her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing. Now a professor at I-Shou University’s School of Nursing, she has over 80 peer-reviewed publications, serves on Sigma Theta Tau International–Taiwan’s editorial boards and the Taiwan Nursing Association’s Nursing Research Committee.