Nursing workload: influence of indirect care interventions

To evaluate nurses' perception of the degree of interference of indirect care interventions on the team's workload and to verify the association between these interventions and the professional and institutional variables.

A research survey through e-mail conducted with clinical nurses, unit managers and service managers from eight Brazilian states. A questionnaire containing 28 indirect care interventions and their definitions proposed by the Nursing Interventions Classification was applied.

A total of 151 clinical nurses participated, and a response rate of 14.8% was obtained. The indirect care interventions reported as those which most increase the workload were: Preceptor: employee (M = 3.2), Employee Development (M = 3.1), Physician Support (M = 3.0) and Conflict mediation (M = 3.0). Statistically significant associations between the investigated interventions and the institutional variables (legal nature and size) were evidenced.

Nurses in different practice scenarios perceive that indirect care interventions influence the workload in a differentiated way, with emphasis on the demands related to the monitoring and qualification of employees.