By Valissa Yap

Making mindfulness practical and accessible – a lofty goal? Maybe not, as a group of NHCS nursing researchers have shown.

The growing emphasis on wellbeing and mindfulness reflects the increasing awareness of their importance in managing work-life balance. Healthcare professionals, particularly, those who often face challenging situations, can experience compassion fatigue and burnout. This affects not only their personal wellbeing but may also compromise the quality of care they deliver.

While research has consistently shown the benefits of mindfulness in the workplace, there remains a lack of accessible, work-integrated mindfulness tools designed specifically for nurses—especially in hospital environments across Asia. To address this gap, our nursing researchers launched the Mindfulness Intervention for Nurses’ Daily Wellbeing (MINDWELL) Huddle, a practical and time-efficient mindfulness-based intervention tailored to nurses’ daily routines.

The MINDWELL Research Team. (Top row L-R): Chief Nurse Amy Tay Ai Liu, Nursing Educator (NE) Zeng Wenying, Acting Assistant Director (Ag AND) Jasmine Lee, Assistant Nurse Clinician (ANC) Venassa Wee; (Bottom row L-R): Senior Staff Nurse (SSN) Novilla Laurie Saldo, Nurse Clinician (NC) Alina Ee, NC Siti Fidawati Binte Jasman, SSN Yeok Bee Geok. Not pictured: NC Iryani Binte Hussain and Dr Kinjal Doshi (Senior Lecturer, Department of Psychology, NUS).

From Nurses, to Nurses

The MINDWELL Huddle study – a one-year research project involving 162 nurses from inpatient and outpatient settings, explores how brief, structured mindfulness practices could enhance nurses’ emotional wellbeing and patient care.

At the heart of the project is the MINDWELL Huddle Toolkit, developed by Nursing Educator (NE) Zeng Wenying, Programme Faculty Member for iTHRIVE – Refresh. Reflect. Recharge, a mindfulness initiative by SingHealth Duke-NUS Institute for Patient Safety & Quality (IPSQ). Instead of full-day workshops at external locations, the research team piloted the toolkit to equip nurses with easy-to-practice, work-based mindfulness techniques right in the ward.

The MINDWELL programme’s uniqueness stems from its seamless integration into the clinical environment. The huddles are strategically embedded into daily work routines and designed to accommodate shift patterns, making them feasible even during 12-hour rosters. Twenty-two trained champions across wards and clinic lead these peer-led sessions, with nurses guiding fellow nurses. This model ensures familiarity and shared ownership while strengthening peer support in the workplace.

Finding Calm in the Chaos

During the four-week pilot, nurses participated in daily weekday huddles, each focusing a different theme—mindful breathing, mindful movement, focus, self-compassion, and gratitude. These practices supported nurses emotionally, mentally and physically, enabling them to begin their shifts with greater intention and clarity.

Weekday sessions of MINDWELL Huddle sessions seamlessly integrated into ward shifts.

Ripple Effects of Mindful Moments

One participant shared, “The breathing techniques learnt helped me stay composed during an emergency. I was able to focus on what needed to be done instead of feeling overwhelmed.”

Other nurses echoed similar sentiments, sharing that breathing exercises and the S.T.O.P (Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed) method were particularly beneficial, especially in maintaining composure during challenging situations such as Code Blue calls and difficult interactions. They found these practices essential for maintaining focus during critical tasks such as medication administration, where clarity and concentration are crucial.  

The mindful movement sessions proved highly useful, offering simple exercises that encourage one to be present through intentional attention to body and breath. These exercises enhanced nurses’ physical wellness, aided mental and physical preparation for upcoming shifts, and helped prevent work-related strain. Additionally, the gratitude and self-compassion practices were particularly appreciated, helping nurses cope with dynamic clinical situations by providing short but meaningful moments to refresh, reflect and recharge.

The big smiles in the post-huddle selfies say it all!

By seamlessly incorporating mindfulness into nurses’ daily routine, the MINDWELL Huddle offers a low-cost, scalable wellness solution that requires no offsite training or external facilitators. It provides nurses with a built-in moment to pause, breathe, and recentre, without disrupting patient care.  To support this practice, participants received a custom magnetic mindfulness puzzle developed by the research team, enabling them to apply different mindfulness themes throughout their busy shifts.

Our nurses with their new mindfulness buddy, a MINDWELL magnetic puzzle card to keep mindful moments at their fingertips.

Another participant shares, “Over the past month, we experienced a more positive attitude, better team dynamic and stronger peer support. When you are busy and someone checks in with you, it means a lot during moments of stress. I am more grateful and have learnt to say, ‘Thank You’. It has made work very comforting and motivating.”

These short, practical sessions created a remarkable ripple effect. Nurses reported feeling less stressed, more prepared, and better equipped to handle their clinical responsibilities with renewed presence and purpose. Over 80% of participants recommended continuing the MINDWELL Huddle, suggesting enhanced content to keep it fresh and relevant.

Cultivating Mindfulness

Reflecting on the project’s journey, NE Wenying, also the Principal Investigator of the MINDWELL Huddle, expressed heartfelt appreciation for the strong engagement from the nursing community. “This would not have been possible without the strong support from Ms Tay and the nursing management team. It has been truly encouraging to witness how our nurses united with a shared goal of improving workplace wellbeing – from the research team members’ dedication and the champions’ commitment to the participants’ active involvement and colleagues’ support of the huddles. This research demonstrates that by promoting self-care, we can cultivate a mindful workplace and community. It helps to sustain professional resilience, and support person-centric care, ultimately contributing to better clinical outcomes and performance.”

Zeng Wenying, NE and Principal Investigator sharing MINDWELL research insights at Mindfulness Conference 2025 - International Conference on Mindfulness-Asia Pacific (ICM-AP) 2025 held in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Beyond its immediate impact, the MINDWELL Huddle lays a strong foundation for sustainable wellness practices within NHCS. The peer-led model, coupled with its practical, low-barrier approach, holds strong potential for long-term implementation and expansion across other clinical areas, contributing to a more resilient and compassionate healing environment.