Exploring how mindfulness enhances attentiveness: a qualitative study with South African mental health nurses

Abstract Background This qualitative, constructivist grounded theory addressed the gap in understanding how mental health nurses cultivate attentiveness through mindfulness practices. This was done by examining attentiveness as both an expression of care and a facilitator of human connectedness. Design Constructivist grounded theory. Methods The study population consisted of nurses working in South African psychotherapy wards, where mindfulness was integrated into daily care practices. Three psychiatric hospitals in South Africa were selected, and 11 participants were recruited via nonprobability snowball sampling method. The data were collected between June and November 2021 via virtual and face-to-face individual interviews supplemented with field notes. Findings Three categories of cultivating attentiveness through mindfulness practices were identified: foundations for fostering attentiveness through mindfulness; mindfulness practices; and the outcomes derived from such practices. These categories exhibited interconnectedness by featuring shared ideas and overlapping themes and subthemes. Conclusions When mental health nurses in this study practice mindfulness, they are attentive and develop a deeper understanding of themselves which conveys to patients.