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

July 16, 2026 updated by: Hospices Civils de Lyon

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).

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 Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

340

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Child
  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Description

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.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Other
  • Allocation: Non-Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Other: TOP Intervention Group
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
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.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
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.
Baseline to 24 months

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Hospices Civils de Lyon

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

September 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 2, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 2, 2028

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 16, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 16, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

July 21, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 21, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 16, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 69HCL26_0340

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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