Abstract
Background
Burnout, occupational stress, and reduced workplace belongingness among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) professionals are increasingly recognized as significant concerns that may adversely affect staff well-being and patient safety. Many existing interventions are resource-intensive, difficult to sustain, or lack cultural contextualization within routine clinical practice.
Objective
To evaluate the impact of a brief, team-embedded daily intervention (GiriPahal) on perceived psychosocial well-being among NICU healthcare professionals.
Methods
A prospective interventional study was conducted at a tertiary-level teaching institute in North India over 6 months (April-September 2024). Thirty NICU healthcare professionals (7 doctors and 23 nurses; male-to-female ratio of 12:18) participated. The GiriPahal intervention consisted of a structured 7-min daily routine incorporating recitation of professional vows, Anulom Vilom pranayama, Bhramari breathing, and guided meditation, performed prior to clinical rounds. Perceived psychosocial impact was assessed using a 20-item questionnaire rated on a four-point Likert scale (score range: 20-80). Baseline assessment was conducted after the first day of intervention exposure, with follow-up assessment at 6 months. Pre–post differences were analyzed using a paired t-test, and effect size was calculated using Cohen’s d.
Results
The mean baseline questionnaire score was 26.00 ± 11.45, which improved to 44.27 ± 9.61 at 6 months. The mean improvement of 18.27 points was statistically significant (P < .001). A large effect size was observed (Cohen’s d = 1.73), indicating a clinically meaningful improvement.
Conclusion
GiriPahal appears feasible and acceptable to NICU healthcare professionals and was associated with improvements in self-reported perceptions of workplace well-being over 6 months. Brief, culturally contextualized, workflow-integrated interventions may offer a feasible strategy for enhancing staff well-being in high-intensity clinical environments.
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