Can an online course shield healthcare workers from toxic bosses?
NCT ID NCT07018089
First seen Sep 09, 2026 · Last updated Sep 10, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
Researchers are testing an online program called iWork.COMP to see if it helps healthcare workers handle the stress of toxic leadership. The program uses compassion-focused therapy, delivered in eight short weekly sessions online. The trial will enroll 200 doctors and nurses, assigning some to the program and others to a waiting list, and compare changes in burnout, wellbeing, and perceptions of leadership.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- an online compassion-focused therapy program called iWork.COMP
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could give hospitals a low-cost, online way to help healthcare workers cope with toxic bosses and reduce burnout.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early trial with 200 participants, so results may not hold up in larger groups or other workplaces. The program may not work for everyone, and some participants might not finish the sessions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 200 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Nov 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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May 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Emerging/pre-service (Gen-Z) and current health care worker (i.e., doctors and nurses working in the surgical pathway); * Aged over 18 years old; * Assuming both leader and non-leader roles. Exclusion Criteria: * N/A
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra
Coimbra, 3000-115, Portugal