Feasibility
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of implementing a Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) program for oncology nurses at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. The goal of CCT is to provide a structured and systematic way of cultivating daily-life skills needed to strengthen qualities of compassion, empathy, and kindness for oneself and others. CCT typically includes (i) eight weekly 2-hour classes and (ii) daily practice. The in-class activities include pedagogical instruction and active group discussion, guided meditation, interactive practical exercises, and sharing of inspiring readings/stories to prime feelings of open-heartedness or connection to others.
Detailed description
The Compassion Cultivation Training (CCT) protocol is a secular course that was developed by the Center for Compassion & Altruism Research and Education (CCARE) at Stanford University, School of Medicine (Jinpa, 2013). The course was developed by Thupten Jinpa, PhD, in collaboration with contemplative scholars, psychologists, and scientist at Stanford. The goal of CCT is to provide a structured and systematic way of cultivating daily-life skills needed to strengthen qualities of compassion, empathy, and kindness for oneself and others. CCT typically includes (i) eight weekly 2-hour classes and (ii) daily practice. The in-class activities include pedagogical instruction and active group discussion, guided meditation, interactive practical exercises, and sharing of inspiring readings/stories to prime feelings of open-heartedness or connection to others. The daily practice includes both formal and informal practices. Participants are provided with formal guided meditations that are 15 to 30 minutes long in the form of MP3 or cds. Participants may receive practices and instructions via email with a link to the location of the MP3. They will be provided with practice logs to report their amount of practice as well as some basic observations to the research team. In the present study, we will follow the official CCT manual. The training is composed of 8 sessions, which can be delivered in 7-10 weeks.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALcompassion cultivation training
Eight 2-hour group sessions that provide a structured and systematic way of cultivating daily-life skills needed to strengthen qualities of compassion, empathy, and kindness for oneself and others.
Sponsors
University of Miami
Study design
Allocation
NA
Intervention model
SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose
SUPPORTIVE_CARE
Masking
NONE
Intervention model description
Single group feasibility study of a psychosocial intervention
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
1. Be 18 years of age or older 2. Be willing and able to give informed consent 3. Be a Registered Nurse (RN) 4. Currently works at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center 5. Currently works at least 20 hours/week 6. Be able to speak and read English
Exclusion criteria
1. Any participants who are deemed to present an acute safety risk to self or others. 2. Any infants, children, or teenagers under 18 years of age. 3. Prisoners
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Number of individuals who do not drop out of the study prior to completing the post-intervention assessment | 24 weeks after first session | Number of individuals who do not drop out of the study prior to completing the post-intervention assessment |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Perceived Stress Scale | baseline and 7-10 weeks | self-report instrument that measures perceptions of stress |
| Maslach Burnout Inventory | baseline and 7-10 weeks | self-report instrument that measures emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and acheivement |
| Philadelphia Mindfulness Scale | baseline and 7-10 weeks | self-report instrument that measures present moment awareness and acceptance |
| Distress Tolerance Scale | baseline and 7-10 weeks | self-report instrument that measures feelings of distress |
| SF-36 | baseline and 7-10 weeks | self-report measure of health-related quality of life |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed