Resilience Among Healthcare Staff: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Digital Training Program

Nursing and direct care staff face significant psychological and physical challenges, including high workloads, emotional labour, and staff shortages, which increase the risk of burnout and stress-related conditions. Resilience is a protective factor that mitigates these effects. This study evaluated the efficacy of a 28-day digital resilience training programme tailored to the needs of nursing and direct care staff. One hundred twenty participants working in German healthcare settings were randomly assigned to an experimental group or a waitlist control group. Experimental group participants received a programme consisting of twice-daily video-based exercises, reflections, and relaxation activities over four weeks. Outcomes were assessed at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and three months follow-up (T3). Resilience (primary outcome) was measured using the Resilience Scale, and perceived stress (secondary outcome) was measured using the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ). Compared to the control group, experimental group participants demonstrated significant improvements in resilience from T1 to T3 (p < .001, d = 0.6) and substantial reductions in percieved stress (PSQ total score, p < .001, d = - 1.4). No significant changes were observed in the control group. The digital programme effectively enhanced resilience and reduced the perception of stress, aligning with prior research on resilience training in healthcare. Despite stress reduction showing a larger effect size, resilience remained the theoretically grounded primary outcome. The flexible, scalable design of the digital programme accommodates challenges like shift work, offering a practical solution for improving nurse staff's mental health. Clinical Trial Registration: German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS), Identifier: DRKS00030973.