Effects of mindfulness and sleep quality on self-efficacy of clinical decision making among resident physicians: an observational study.

Background: Mindfulness and sleep quality implicate the mental well-being of physicians; whose job demands high cognitive performance.

Aim: This study aimed to measure the effect of sleep quality and mindfulness on residents to make timely proper clinical decisions.

Methods: A cross-section study recruited 200 residents at Tanta University hospitals, in Egypt. Sleep quality was assessed using the Sleep Quality Scale, Mindfulness was measured by the Mindful Attention Awareness Scale, and clinical self-decision efficacy was determined by the Decision Self-efficacy Scale.

Results: The study revealed that 22.5% of respondents had poor quality and 46.5% had low decision self-efficacy. A statistically significant high score of mindfulness was observed between residents of non-surgical specialties (3.1 ± 0.7). High capability of clinical decisions efficiently was statistically signficant and proportionally correlated with increased mindfulness scale (r = 0.4, P = 0.002). Lower self-efficacy was significantly associated with taking >3-night shifts/week and reduced break duration.

Conclusion: There is remarkable low to moderate self-efficacy for clinical decision-making capability among the studied resident physicians, underpinned by the degree of mindfulness and hospital environmental factors.