Background: Multiple stressors as well as health-and quality-impairing effects of strain in the nursing profession require the systematic acquisition of competence in dealing with these demands, starting at the stage of initial vocational training. This study investigates whether an instructional design, which merges didactic principles of nursing education with concepts and training measures from stress psychology, promotes the acquisition of stress coping competence more effectively than regular teaching on the relevant curricular field at nursing schools.
Methods: The quasi-experimental study design, based on the Solomon four-group plan, included 332 trainees in Germany.