Stress is part of everyday life, particularly in healthcare and social services settings, where responsibilities, unexpected situations, heavy workloads, and interpersonal demands can increase pressure. While the stress response can be beneficial in the short term, prolonged exposure to stress can become difficult to manage.
This course aims to raise awareness among healthcare professionals and workers about the mechanisms of stress and provide practical tools to recognize its signs, identify stressors, and take action in situations where change is possible.

Through accessible explanations, everyday examples, guided reflections, and interactive activities, participants will explore the stages of the stress response, key stress-triggering factors (low control, unpredictability, novelty, and threats to the ego), the effects of chronic stress, and different ways to better manage their "stress kettle."

Participants will learn to:

• Recognize the main sources of stress and their physical, emotional, and behavioural manifestations.
• Understand the stress response, its stages, and the factors that can trigger or intensify it.
• Identify their stressors and break them down into realistic, manageable actions whenever possible.
• Recognize the importance of recovery, personal resources, and activities that promote well-being.
• Understand eustress (positive stress) and the role of self-talk in shaping how stress is perceived.
• Explore practical strategies to step back, shift perspectives, and cope more effectively with challenges.

In demanding work environments, this course emphasizes simple, practical strategies that can be applied in everyday situations. It encourages personal awareness and reflection without suggesting that stress can be completely eliminated or that individual strategies can replace necessary organizational measures.

Disclaimer

This course is intended for educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical or psychological advice and is not a substitute for consultation with a healthcare professional or for support resources provided by an employer or other appropriate services.

Prerequisites

No prior knowledge is required. The content is presented in a clear, structured, and accessible manner to support participants in understanding and applying stress management concepts.

__________________________________
Eligible Training Expense – 1% Training Law
“Quebec employers subject to the Act to promote workforce skills development and recognition must invest at least 1% of their payroll in eligible training activities.”

General Objective

Understand the mechanisms and manifestations of stress in order to develop practical strategies to identify personal stressors, draw on available resources, and better manage everyday pressures.

Specific Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the sources, triggers, and manifestations of stress, as well as the potential effects of prolonged exposure.
• Understand the mechanisms of the stress response, the factors that influence it, and the distinction between difficult-to-manage stress and eustress (positive stress).
• Identify strategies to address certain stressors, gain perspective, and support recovery.
• Draw on personal strengths and adapt self-talk to approach stressful situations more constructively.

This course is designed for professionals and workers in healthcare and social services settings, including:

• Healthcare and social services professionals
• Clinical, administrative, and support staff
• Managers, supervisors, and team leaders
• Human resources professionals
• Anyone seeking to better understand and manage stress in their daily professional life

The course is delivered through an online learning platform accessible at any time, allowing participants to learn at their own pace, pause the training, and resume it whenever their schedule permits.

The course follows an interactive and progressive learning approach:

• Interactive, visually engaging, and well-structured training
• Use of practical examples, characters, and visual metaphors, including the mammoth and the kettle
• Real-life scenarios inspired by common professional and personal challenges
• Guided reflections to help participants identify their stressors, reactions, and personal strengths
• Visual and interactive elements to reinforce key concepts
• Formative learning activities throughout the course
• Interactive final assessment with feedback and opportunities to review course content
• Access to an instructor or support services for questions or clarification

The knowledge assessment is designed to evaluate participants' understanding of the key concepts covered throughout the course.
Through single-choice and multiple-choice questions, as well as drag-and-drop and matching activities, the assessment aims to confirm participants' ability to recognize the sources and manifestations of stress, understand its mechanisms, and apply appropriate stress management strategies.

Assessment Objectives

• Recognize the main sources and manifestations of stress
• Understand the stress response and the factors that can intensify it
• Identify ways to address stressors and support recovery
• Recognize the role of personal strengths, eustress (positive stress), and self-talk
• Apply strategies to gain perspective and reframe stressful situations

Completion Requirements

• To successfully complete the course, participants must:
• Complete all course modules
• Participate in all mandatory learning activities
• Achieve a minimum score of 80% on the final assessment

• Computer or tablet with a reliable Internet connection. Mobile phones may be used, but some content may not be fully optimized for smaller screens.
• Updated web browser (Chrome, Edge, Safari, or Firefox recommended)
• Speakers or headphones for audio/video content
• Notebook or digital note-taking tool (optional, for personal learning
• Access to the course platform (login credentials provided upon registration)

• A Certificate of Completion is issued at the end of the training, provided that the learning path has been completed and, where applicable, the knowledge assessment has been successfully passed.
• Downloading the certificate is also conditional upon completing the course evaluation regarding the participant’s overall assessment of the training.
• Once the evaluation has been submitted, the certificate can be downloaded in PDF format. It remains accessible at all times from the “My Courses” section for future downloads. Participants may also contact the support team to request an additional copy.
• Certificates are retained in our records for a period of six years, or for the applicable validity period of the certificate or awarded credits, as the case may be.

A training evaluation is conducted at the end of the course to gather participant feedback and support the continuous improvement of the quality of the content and teaching methods.

This mandatory evaluation focuses in particular on:

• The clarity and relevance of the content 
• The achievement of the learning objectives 
• The quality of the learning activities 
• The usefulness of the tools and strategies presented in professional practice 
• Overall satisfaction with the training 

The results of this evaluation are reviewed periodically in order to identify opportunities for improvement and ensure the ongoing updating and enhancement of the training.