The well-being of nursing staff - care4care

Prof. Dr. Dirk Lehr and Dr. Leif Boß from Leuphana University Lüneburg, together with scientists from other universities, have developed a digital platform to strengthen the mental health of nursing staff. The “Care4Care” platform has been tested for effectiveness in a large-scale study and shows that it has the potential to improve the mental health climate in nursing facilities.

The Care4Care platform offers a wide range of training courses aimed at improving working conditions and supporting personal health promotion. Topics range from analyzing working conditions and health-oriented employee management to restful sleep despite shift work, personal stress management, and building resilience.
The results of the study have now been published in the prestigious International Journal of Nursing Studies. “The results show for the first time that the Care4Care digital platform has the potential to improve the climate for mental health, which is important not least against the backdrop of the shortage of skilled workers,” says Dr. Leif Boß. “In particular, we have observed a reduction in stress levels among nursing staff in care facilities using the platform.” Dr. Boß also points out that the study provides important insights into the digital transformation of workplace health promotion.
Care4Care was developed and evaluated by an interdisciplinary team from the Berlin University of Applied Sciences, Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg, Lübeck University of Applied Sciences, Saarland University, and the Department of Health Psychology at Leuphana University. The project was funded by the AOK Federal Association, which also tested the implementation of the Care4Care platform in care facilities in practice.
The study results clearly show that attractive digital offerings can only be successful in combination with good personal contact with caregivers and care facilities. “The work that caregivers do for the well-being of us all cannot be overstated, which is why innovative solutions for their mental health are so important,” says Prof. Dirk Lehr, who is leading the project on behalf of Leuphana.