Background

Empirical research shows that nursing professionals are at high risk suffering from negative consequences of stress and exhaustion states. Although political efforts have been intensified to improve the nursing professionals’ situation, they have largely been unsuccessful. Positive psychology offers effective empirically-proven interventions to reduce stress and burnout tendencies and increase happiness.

Aims

Therefore, a half-day intervention with following do-it-yourself exercises was developed for the target group. The intervention aimed at increasing goal-clarity, self-efficacy and reducing stress and burnout tendency by training a positive self-management. The study intended to evaluate the effects of the intervention.

Method

The study followed a 2x2 quasi-experimental design and was conducted at a maximum care clinic in Germany in the summer of 2022. The study included 27 individuals who received the treatment and 34 individuals who were in the comparison group. Prior to the intervention, as well as four to seven weeks after the intervention, all participants filled out standardized questionnaires used to operate the variables of interest (application of techniques of positive psychology, goal-clarity, self-efficacy, stress and burnout tendency).

Results

The training evaluation showed a significant and strong interaction for the application of techniques of positive psychology (partial η² = .20). Self-efficacy significantly increased for over 10 years experienced nurses (M_TG = 3.38_, M_CG = 3.17) and full-times nurses (M_TG = 3.33_, M_CG = 3.20) compared to those of the comparison group. Goal clarity did not significantly increase in the target group; however, a tendency was identified (p = .072). No interaction effects were found for stress and burnout tendency.

Conclusion

To conclude, the intervention has indicated a trend for effectiveness for the target group. However, in order to decrease stress and burnout tendency, more training days and individualized exercises as well as further modifications concerning the working conditions are necessary. Limitations with regard to the sample and the study’s methodology will be discussed.