Stress Related Nurse StudySTETHO'TOPNCT07717047
STETHO'TOP Study: Evaluation of the Impact of Potential Optimization Techniques on General Self-Efficacy Among Nursing Students Throughout Their Educational Curriculum
A study testing TOP INTERVENTION GROUP in people with Stress Related Nurse Study, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon.
Trial 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… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Any ageHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Stress Related Nurse Study
- What is being tested?
- TOP INTERVENTION GROUP
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 340 participants
- Where
- No sites listed yet
- Study dates
- 1 Sep 2026to 2 Sep 2028
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages Any age
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- 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.
Who cannot join
- 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.
About this study
Official title: Evaluation of the Impact of Potential Optimization Techniques on General Self-Efficacy Among Nursing Students Throughout Their Educational Curriculum
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).
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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
- Being tested
- TOP INTERVENTION GROUP, TOP CONTROL GROUP
- Keywords
- nurse study
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
TOP INTERVENTION GROUPOther
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.
TOP CONTROL GROUPOther
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.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| TOP Intervention Group | Other | Not described Receives: Other: TOP INTERVENTION GROUP |
| TOP Control Group | Other | Not described Receives: Other: TOP CONTROL GROUP |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
General Self-Efficacy Score (GSE)
Change in General Self-Efficacy score between baseline (T0) and 24 months (T3), comparing the intervention and control groups using the General Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Schwarzer and Jerusalem.
Measured: Baseline to 24 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted21 Jul 2026
- Study start1 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion2 Sep 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion2 Sep 2028 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Stress Related Nurse StudyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Hospices Civils de LyonThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 340 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Hospices Civils de Lyon
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07717047
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 69HCL26_0340
- Acronym
- STETHO'TOP
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 21 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 21 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of the Impact of Potential Optimization Techniques on General Self-Efficacy Among Nursing Students Throughout Their Educational Curriculum
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07717047
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- STETHO'TOP / 69HCL26_0340
- Conditions
- Stress Related Nurse Study
- Keywords
- nurse study
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Not yet recruiting
- Enrolment
- 340 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Hospices Civils de LyonUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Sep 2026 (estimated)
- Primary completion
- 2 Sep 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 2 Sep 2028 (estimated)
- First posted
- 21 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
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.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Non-randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| TOP Intervention Group | Other | Other: TOP INTERVENTION GROUP |
| TOP Control Group | Other | Other: TOP CONTROL GROUP |
Who may qualify
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- 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.
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- 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.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| TOP INTERVENTION GROUPParticipants 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 Intervention Group |
| TOP CONTROL GROUPParticipants 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 Control Group |
Primary outcome
General Self-Efficacy Score (GSE)
Time frame: Baseline to 24 months
Change in General Self-Efficacy score between baseline (T0) and 24 months (T3), comparing the intervention and control groups using the General Self-Efficacy Scale developed by Schwarzer and Jerusalem.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 21 Jul 2026.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing TOP INTERVENTION GROUP in people with Stress Related Nurse Study, run by Hospices Civils de Lyon.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: opening soon, as of the sponsor's last update on 21 Jul 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
General Self-Efficacy Score (GSE) (time frame: Baseline to 24 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 21 Jul 2026.