gms | German Medical Science

The demand-resource-model from Becker (2006) contains that health is a result of the balance between internal and external resources and requirements. This concept can be transmitted to teachers' health in general, especially to teachers' health in nursing schools as well. The three most frequent stresses for teachers based on empirical studies of teachers' health in general are difficult pupil behaviors, large size of classes and a huge number of lessons [1]. The most frequent stresses for teachers in nursing schools are difficult pupil behaviors, administrative tasks and legal innovations in education. Generally speaking, teachers in nursing schools complain about less stress than teachers in general schools. One reason for this result is often a small group of teachers in nursing schools [2]. Nevertheless, colleague consulting is a highly time and cost effective instrument to face teachers' demands by using resources of each participant. Colleague consulting consists of six phases, where solution proposals for a professional problem of one participant should be developed. The main benefits of this instrument are to solve a concrete professional problem, to acquire necessary vocational action competences and to reduce professional demands. Currently there is a small amount of empirical studies which present the impact of colleague consulting. Although the results of these studies and the shown progress reports that colleague consulting has only positive effects, negative effects were not substantiated. To achieve the positive effects and aims of this type of consulting, there are some circumstances which are necessary before implementing this instrument. The management level has to provide human, material and financial resources to establish colleague consulting. In addition to that, the employees need to get interested and motivated by a well-structured and attractive introductory session. Afterwards the employees need to know facts about principles of professional conversations and about an appreciative attitude in consulting. By improving competences and the solution of problems in daily life through colleague consulting the costs that initially seem to be high get relativized. Therefore, using colleague consulting is one option to meet requirements of teaching professions [3]. But as a matter of fact, there is a great need for research in the effect of colleague consulting and teachers' health in nursing schools.