The BIG Moment in Critical Care: Evaluating a Nurse-Developed Mindfulness Intervention to Manage Stress and Sustain Compassionate Care.

Abstract

Intensive care unit (ICU) nurses are frequently exposed to suffering and emotional distress, placing them at risk for burnout, compassion fatigue, and moral distress. Mindfulness practices can nurture presence, resilience, and compassionate care, yet many structured programs are too time-intensive for busy clinical environments. The Brief Intentional Grounding (BIG) Moment, a nurse-developed, 1- to 3-minute mindfulness practice, was created to restore balance, reduce stress, and support holistic well-being within the flow of care. In this pre-post intervention study, 30 ICU nurses at an urban safety-net hospital participated in a 3-month program including a 20-minute educational video and encouragement to practice The BIG Moment once or twice per shift. Perceived stress, measured with the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale, decreased significantly from baseline to 1 and 3 months ( P < .001). Results demonstrate that The BIG Moment is a brief, sustainable, and integrative practice that promotes nurse well-being and strengthens the healing environment.