Healthy start - care edition

Project overview

Even during their training, nursing staff are confronted with complex work demands and stresses. A German health insurance company, together with a company specialising in occupational health management, has therefore established a programme specifically for nursing trainees that includes an introductory workshop (needs assessment) and in-depth workshops focusing on exercise, relaxation, nutrition and addiction. The programme is based on the health circle method. The aim of this health-promoting measure is to strengthen the trainees' health-related resources at an early stage.

Further information

Duration: February 2021 to September 2022
Funding: BARMER
Responsible: Institute for Integrative Health Care and Health Promotion (IGVF)

Research objective and method

The main aim of the "Healthy Start - Care Edition" study was to find out to what extent participation in three workshops (intro, exercise and relaxation workshop) has a positive influence on the perception of stress and other work- and health-related endpoints.

A cluster-randomised controlled study was conducted in several institutions throughout Germany. This study design made it possible to make particularly precise statements about the effectiveness of the intervention. At least 300 nursing trainees were included (at least two classes per institution). The participating classes were randomly divided into two groups and surveyed simultaneously at four points in time: at the beginning of the study (baseline) and after approximately three, six and nine months. After the first survey, the first group (intervention group) took part in the workshops. The second group only took part in the workshops after the second survey after three months (waiting control group). This was followed by two further surveys in order to visualise long-term effects.

Standardised scientific questionnaires on happiness, life satisfaction, subjective state of health, ability to recover, stress experience, emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, health attitudes, health behaviour, self-care and health competence were used. The survey and workshops took place during regular school hours wherever possible.

Results

The study shows whether the workshop participants experience changes in the areas surveyed. These can be short-term (directly after the workshops) and/or long-term (3-6 months after the workshops). Through the comparison with control classes that did not receive any intervention during the period and the random allocation, it can be assumed that changes can be attributed to participation in the workshops.

The publication will follow.

Project management