Background: Professional identity formation (PIF) is a life-long process, starting even before professional education. High levels of motivation for medical school are essential for effective learning and academic success. Both are key factors in future physicians’ professional and personal development, and according to self-determination theory, professional identity (PI) and students’ levels of motivation could be closely linked. Therefore, we sought to investigate whether PI and strength of motivation for medical school are associated in new medical students. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, all new medical students in Munich, Germany, were asked to complete the Macleod Clark Professional Identity Scale (MCPIS-9) and the Strength of Motivation for Medical School-Revised questionnaire (SMMS-R) as well as to provide information about age, gender, and waiting time before starting medical school. Results: Eight hundred eleven out of 918 new medical students participated in the survey. A positive correlation between the MCPIS-9 and the SMMS-R (p < 0.001) was found. Female students showed higher scores in the SMMS-R (p < 0.05) and the SMMS-R-subscale Readiness to Start (p < 0.001). The amount of waiting semesters showed a positive correlation with the total SMMS-R score (p < 0.01) as well as with the subscales Readiness to Start and Persistence (both p < 0.001). Discussion: We found an association between PI and strength of motivation for medical school in a large cohort of new medical students. Female gender and more waiting semesters were associated with higher levels of self-perceived motivation and higher scores on the SMMS-R-subscale Readiness to Start. More research is needed to better understand this topic to further improve medical education.

Background: In view of the increasing strain on health workers, psychosocial support measures are becoming more important. The core of a sustainable concept is the establishment of peer support teams. Two aspects are central: first, target group-specific training content, and second, suitable staff members who are trained as peers. The goal of the study was to obtain a first look at what content can be taught in peer training for medical staff, how the training is evaluated by the target group, and which people are interested in training from peers. Methods: During the period 2017–2022, Peer Training for medical staff was developed by a non-profit institution in Germany with state funding and the support of a medical professional association and evaluated during the project. Participants (N = 190) in the Peer Training course were interviewed in advance about their experiences and stresses at work using an anonymous questionnaire. After completing the training modules, the participants filled out an evaluation form. Results: The participants of the Peer Training were predominantly female (70.5%) and middle-aged (between 31 and 50 years old). Most (80.3%) experienced stressful events themselves, mostly without any preparation (93.5%) or follow-up (86.8%) by the employer. The participants estimate their workload in the medium range. The proportion of stressed individuals among the participants was below that of various comparison groups as available reference values. The training module itself was evaluated very positively. Conclusions: The content and framework parameters of the training were rated very well. There is a high degree of fit with the requirements in the health sector. The participants in the Peer Training seem to represent a good cross-section of the target group medical staff, also regarding their own experiences, seem to have a good psychological constitution and are therefore very suitable to work as peers after the training.

Background: A telephone support hotline (PSU-HELPLINE) was established at the beginning of the pandemic due to the burden on health professionals and the lack of support at the workplace. The aim of this study was to evaluate the telephone support service for health professionals in terms of its burden, benefits, and mechanisms of action. Methods: Data collection was conducted during and after calls by PSU-HELPLINE counsellors. In addition to the socio-demographic data evaluation, burdens of the callers and the benefits of the calls were collected. The content-analytical evaluation of the stresses as well as the effect factors were based on Mayring’s (2022). Results: Most of the callers were highly to very highly stressed. The usefulness of the conversation was rated as strong to very strong by both callers and counsellors. The PSU-HELPLINE was used primarily for processing serious events and in phases of overload. The support work was carried out through the following aspects of so-called effect factors, among others: psychoeducation, change of perspective, resource activation, problem actualization, connectedness, information, problem solving, self-efficacy, and preservation of resources. Conclusions: The expansion of local peer support structures and the possibility of a telephone helpline are recommended. Further research is needed.

Background With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic at the beginning of 2020, the crucial role of hygiene in healthcare settings has once again become very clear. For diagnostic and for didactic purposes, standardized and reliable tests suitable to assess the competencies involved in "working hygienically" are required. However, existing tests usually use self-report questionnaires, which are suboptimal for this purpose. In the present study, we introduce the newly developed, competence-oriented HygiKo test instrument focusing health-care professionals' hygiene competence and report empirical evidence regarding its psychometric properties. Methods HygiKo is a Situational Judgement Test (SJT) to assess hygiene competence. The HygiKo-test consists of twenty pictures (items), each item presents only one unambiguous hygiene lapse. For each item, test respondents are asked (1) whether they recognize a problem in the picture with respect to hygiene guidelines and, (2) if yes, to describe the problem in a short verbal response. Our sample comprised n = 149 health care professionals (79.1 % female; age: M = 26.7 years, SD = 7.3 years) working as clinicians or nurses. The written responses were rated by two independent raters with high agreement (alpha > 0.80), indicating high reliability of the measurement. We used Item Response Theory (IRT) for further data analysis. Results We report IRT analyses that show that the HygiKo-test is suitable to assess hygiene competence and that it allows to distinguish between persons demonstrating different levels of ability for seventeen of the twenty items), especially for the range of low to medium person abilities. Hence, the HygiKo-SJT is suitable to get a reliable and competence-oriented measure for hygiene-competence. Conclusions In its present form, the HygiKo-test can be used to assess the hygiene competence of medical students, medical doctors, nurses and trainee nurses in cross-sectional measurements. In order to broaden the difficulty spectrum of the current test, additional test items with higher difficulty should be developed. The Situational Judgement Test designed to assess hygiene competence can be helpful in testing and teaching the ability of working hygienically. Further research for validity is needed.

Purpose: The objective of this study is to evaluate whether the nationwide establishment and institutionalization of a peer-support program, is economically justified given the potential positive effects on the Second Victim Phenomenon (SVP) among healthcare professionals in Germany. Methods: A comprehensive methodological approach was employed, using data from the SeViD studies to assess the prevalence and duration of SVP among physicians and nurses in Germany. Economic impact assessments were conducted to estimate the potential cost savings associated with implementing a peer-support program. Results: The economic analysis reveals significant annual costs associated with SVP-induced absenteeism: approximately 1.56 billion euros for physicians and 1.87 billion euros for nurses. Implementing comprehensive peer-support programs could reduce these costs to approximately 0.85 billion (physicians) and 1.02 billion euros (nurses), respectively, demonstrating substantial potential economic benefits. Conclusion: Investing in a structured peer-support program could yield annual savings exceeding 1.55 billion euros while enhancing workforce resilience and improving patient care. This underscores the economic rationale for scaling up peer support initiatives in healthcare settings.

Zusammenfassung: Hintergrund: Steigende Einsatzzahlen, demographische Veränderungen und eine zunehmende Inanspruchnahme des Rettungsdienstes bei nicht lebensbedrohlichen Hilfeersuchen verdeutlichen die Notwendigkeit vorbeugender Versorgungsansätze in der Außerklinischen Akut- und Notfallversorgung. Im Rahmen des 1. Deggendorfer Workshops zur akademischen Ausbildung in der Außerklinischen Akut- und Notfallversorgung wurde diskutiert, welche erweiterten Kompetenzen und Qualifikationsprofile künftig für akademisch qualifizierte Notfallsanitäter:innen in diesem Handlungsfeld erforderlich sind. Methodik: Im Februar 2026 erarbeiteten 24 Expert:innen aus Rettungsdienst, Wissenschaft und Berufsverbänden aus Deutschland, Österreich und der Schweiz Grundlagen für und Anforderungen an ein bundeseinheitliches Bachelor-Curriculum für Notfallsanitäter:innen im vorbeugenden Rettungsdienst mit entsprechenden Kompetenzprofilen und Ausbildungsinhalten. Ergebnisse: Es konnten zwei komplementäre Teil-Curricula für den Kompetenzerwerb im Rahmen von Aufbaustudiengängen für Notfallsanitäter:innen im vorbeugenden Rettungsdient entwickelt werden. Diese decken die Bereiche Forschung und Entwicklung sowie Patientenversorgung ab. Diskussion: Ein bundeseinheitlich abgestimmtes Kompetenzprofil kann dazu beitragen, die Professionalisierung des Rettungsdienstes fortzuführen und die Patientensicherheit in der Außerklinischen Akut- und Notfallversorgung zu stärken. Es ist Grundlage für eine medikolegal auszudefinierende Tätigkeit von akademisch qualifizierten Notfallsanitäter:innen im vorbeugenden Rettungsdienst.