PEPAplus – Expanded competencies for bachelor-qualified nurses in residential long-term care: stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial (SW-CRCT)

PEPAplus – Expanded competencies for bachelor-qualified nurses in residential long-term care: stepped-wedge cluster randomised controlled trial (SW-CRCT) - PEPAplus

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

DRKS

Registry ID

DRKS00039916

Enrollment

360

Registered

2026-07-03

Start date

2026-08-04

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2026-08-03

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Complex care needs (multimorbidity) of residents in residential long-term care

Interventions

Group 1: A new role profile for bachelor-qualified nurses with expanded competencies (PEPA) is being implemented in residential long-term care facilities. The preventive planning and evaluation of the

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: lives in a participating residential care facility

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: respite care

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Hospital admissions within 9 months (proportion of residents with = 1 hospital admission) amongst residents in inpatient long-term care are derived retrospectively from digital care records (routine data) at three measurement points (t0: baseline and randomisation; t1: t0 + 9 months; t2: t0 + 18 months)	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
Hospital admissions: number, cause and duration; retrospectively extracted over a 9-month period from digital care records using a standardized data extraction form; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2). Emergency service contacts: proportion of residents with =1 contact, number of contacts, and cause; retrospectively extracted over a 9-month period from digital care records using a standardized data extraction form; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2). Out-of-hours medical service contacts: proportion of residents with =1 contact, number of contacts, and cause; retrospectively extracted over a 9-month period from digital care records using a standardized data extraction form; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2). Health-related quality of life: measured using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L); self-reported by residents or assessed via proxy ratings by nursing staff; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2). Safety outcomes: falls and fall-related injuries, pressure ulcers stage =2, and mortality; retrospectively extracted over a 9-month period from digital care records using a standardized data extraction form; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2). Additional resource use outcomes: costs of healthcare service utilization, intervention delivery, implementation within nursing facilities, and staff training; evaluated in an accompanying health economic analysis. Implementation outcomes, mechanisms of impact, and contextual factors: evaluated in a process evaluation using mainly qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups, observations) with nursing staff, residents, and relatives; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2). *t0: Baseline, t1: 9 months after randomisation, t2: 18 months after randomisation	—

Measure

Time frame

Hospital admissions: number, cause and duration; retrospectively extracted over a 9-month period from digital care records using a standardized data extraction form; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2). Emergency service contacts: proportion of residents with =1 contact, number of contacts, and cause; retrospectively extracted over a 9-month period from digital care records using a standardized data extraction form; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2). Out-of-hours medical service contacts: proportion of residents with =1 contact, number of contacts, and cause; retrospectively extracted over a 9-month period from digital care records using a standardized data extraction form; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2*). Health-related quality of life: measured using the EuroQol 5-Dimension 5-Level questionnaire (EQ-5D-5L); self-reported by residents or assessed via proxy ratings by nursing staff; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2*). Safety outcomes: falls and fall-related injuries, pressure ulcers stage =2, and mortality; retrospectively extracted over a 9-month period from digital care records using a standardized data extraction form; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2*). Additional resource use outcomes: costs of healthcare service utilization, intervention delivery, implementation within nursing facilities, and staff training; evaluated in an accompanying health economic analysis. Implementation outcomes, mechanisms of impact, and contextual factors: evaluated in a process evaluation using mainly qualitative methods (interviews, focus groups, observations) with nursing staff, residents, and relatives; assessed at three time points (t0, t1, t2*). *t0: Baseline, t1: 9 months after randomisation, t2: 18 months after randomisation

—

Countries

Germany

Contacts

Public ContactJanna Sill

Universitätsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH), Institut für Sozialmedizin und Epidemiologie, Sektion für Forschung und Lehre in der Pflege

Janna.Sill@uksh.de+49 451 500-51258

Outcome results

None listed

Source: DRKS (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Aug 10, 2026