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STETHO'TOP Study: Evaluation of the Impact of Potential Optimization Techniques on General Self-Efficacy Among Nursing Students Throughout Their Educational Curriculum

NCT07717047 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 340

Last updated 2026-07-21

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

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.

Conditions

  • Stress Related Nurse Study

Interventions

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.

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.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Hospices Civils de Lyon

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE
Model
PARALLEL

Eligibility

Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-09-01
Primary Completion
2028-09-02
Completion
2028-09-02

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07717047 on ClinicalTrials.gov