The Impact of Nursing Mindful Presence on Clinical Decision Accuracy and Patient Safety in Emergency Departments

Abstract

This study explores the influence of mindful presence among emergency department nurses on the accuracy of clinical decision-making and subsequent patient safety outcomes. In high-pressure, fast-paced clinical environments such as emergency departments, cognitive load and fatigue threaten decision accuracy, increasing risks to patient safety. Mindful presence—a practice of focused, nonjudgmental awareness in the moment—has emerged as a promising intervention to mitigate these risks by enhancing nurses’ attention control, emotional regulation, and situational awareness. Employing a mixed-method approach, the research analyzed observational and self-reported data from 150 emergency nurses across three urban hospitals. Results reveal that higher levels of mindful presence significantly correlate with improved clinical decision accuracy and reduced incidence of patient safety events. The findings advocate for mindfulness interventions integrated into nursing workflows to bolster care quality and safeguard patients under emergency care pressures.