STETHO'TOP Study: Evaluation of the Impact of Potential Optimization Techniques on General Self-Efficacy Among Nursing Students Throughout Their Educational Curriculum
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: TOP INTERVENTION GROUP, TOP CONTROL GROUP.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Stress Related Nurse Study. Basic parameters: No limits · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Evaluation of the Impact of Potential Optimization Techniques on General Self-Efficacy Among Nursing Students Throughout Their Educational Curriculum
Overview
In response to the concerning decline in nursing students' mental health, innovative measures were piloted in several nursing schools (IFSI) in 2024. Notably, a pilot program by the \*Mutuelle Nationale des Hospitaliers\* (MNH) was launched to address rising dropout rates, the increase in anxiety and depressive disorders, and the finding that nearly 25% of these young people have experienced suicidal thoughts. In this context, "Potential Optimization Techniques" (TOP) emerge as a promising avenue for intervention. Developed in the 1990s within the French military by Dr. Édith Perreaut-Pierre to meet the demands of operational stress, TOPs comprise a structured set of psycho-cognitive and behavioral strategies designed to optimize physical, mental, and emotional resources according to the requirements of the task at hand. They have proven effective in stress management, fatigue prevention, and the improvement of concentration and recovery, as well as in mobilizing the motivational and emotional resources needed for sustained performance (Perreaut-Pierre, 2024). Their pragmatic, adaptable, and self-directed nature makes them a potentially valuable tool for healthcare students, who also face demanding environments. TOPs could thus address the current concerns of nursing schools and the requirements of the 2026 reform by enabling students to develop emotional agility, autonomy in stress management, and a sense of agency in the face of training challenges. These anticipated benefits align with institutional goals aimed at reducing stress, fatigue, and academic dropout rates, while fostering well-being and performance within the healthcare professions.
Interventions
- Other TOP INTERVENTION GROUP
Participants received a four-hour theoretical session on stress, fatigue, motivation, and the Principles of Potential Optimization Techniques (TOP). In addition, participants attended six practical TOP training sessions delivered over a 10-month period in small groups. During the third year of nursing education, participants took part in a healthcare simulation exercise integrating the skills and techniques learned through the TOP program. - Other TOP CONTROL GROUP
Participants received the same four-hour theoretical session on stress, fatigue, motivation, and the principles of Potential Optimization Techniques (TOP). However, they did not participate in any practical TOP training sessions. During the third year of nursing education, participants completed the same healthcare simulation exercise using their own personal coping resources without TOP training.
Primary outcome measures
- General Self-Efficacy Score (GSE) [Time frame: Baseline to 24 months]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
\- The participants in this study are nursing students enrolled in the 2025-2028 cohorts at the Esquirol and Clémenceau Nursing Training Institutes (IFSI), affiliated with the Hospices Civils de Lyon.
Exclusion criteria
- Current history of severe neuropsychiatric conditions (severe depressive disorder, severe anxiety disorder)-self-reported-or uncontrolled acute psychiatric symptoms during the study (severe anxiety, severe behavioral disturbances).
- This criterion is incompatible with a pedagogical method like TOP, which falls outside the scope of psychology. The teaching skills involved in TOP do not enable the management of psychological disorders. However, they may complement psychological care within the context of these exclusion criteria.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: Yes
Study design
- Allocation
- Non-randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Open label
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Identifiers
NCT: NCT07717047 · 69HCL26_0340