The purpose of this study was to examine the mediating effects of mindfulness on the relationships between stress and quality of life among shift nurses. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was conducted using purposive sampling of 206 shift nurses in a tertiary general hospital in Korea. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and multiple regression analysis using SPSS/WIN 26.0 program. There were significant correlations among stress, mindfulness and quality of life. The quality of life had a positive correlation with mindfulness (r = 0.52, p < 0.001) and a negative correlation with stress among nurses. Mindfulness acts as a mediator in explaining relationship between stress and quality of life. This study provide evidence for the role of mindfulness in the relationship between stress and quality of life in shift nurses. Mindfulness appears to be a protective factor against nurses’ stress. If mindfulness-based interventions are developed and applied to improve the quality of life of shift nurses based on this study, it can help reduce their stress and improve the quality of life, which could ultimately improve the quality of nursing care for patients.
Keywords: mindfulness; nurse; quality of life; stress.