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March 28, 2017

Nurse Researcher Recognized for Use of Meditation in VA Populations

Dr. Jill Bormann Dr. Jill Bormann (center) was awarded the International Society for Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurses (ISPN) 2017 Research Award

VA research nurse scientist Dr. Jill Bormann was awarded the International Society for Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurses (ISPN) 2017 Research Award for her work on the Mantram Repetition Program (MRP) in the VA health care system.

Bormann has studied the health-related outcomes of the mantram program in a variety of group settings for the past 17 years, including among Veterans with chronic illness, Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), family caregivers of Veterans with dementia, adults living with HIV/AIDS, and health care providers.

The MRP is a mind-body, spiritual intervention that can be used to manage stress and cultivate a personal sense of well-being. Mantram repetition is a simple and quick technique that can be used almost anywhere, anytime to help Veterans and others reduce stress and center their self-awareness.

"A mantram is a spiritual word, phrase, or brief prayer that we repeat silently to ourselves to calm the body, quiet the mind, and improve concentration to restore the spirit," says Bormann, who has created a burnout prevention tool for health care providers.

Bormann completed a VA post-doctoral nurse fellowship in 2011 and is currently the associate nurse executive for research at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. Her program of research is on health-related outcomes of the MRP, ranging from "Mantram Repetition with Homeless Women" to "Efficacy of the Mantram Repetition Program for Insomnia in Veterans with PTSD."

The International Society for Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurses supports advanced-practice psychiatric-mental health nurses in promoting mental health care, literacy, and policy worldwide.

*Listen to Dr. Bormann talk about the benefits of using a Mantram Repetition Program for Veterans who have returned from duty in Iraq or Afghanistan.

*To learn more about Dr. Bormann's work with Veterans who have PTSD, read "Mantram technique benefits Veterans with PTSD."



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