Repeated assessments and predictors of nurses' shift-specific perceived workload.

Area of Science:

• Nursing research
• Healthcare management
• Occupational health

Background:

• Perceived workload among nurses is a key indicator for staffing decisions and patient outcomes.
• Subjective assessments of nursing workload are of significant interest to researchers and policymakers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe repeated assessments of perceived workload in registered nurses (RNs) during day and night shifts.
• To analyze the relationship between perceived workload and workdays, hospital units, and nurse-staffing levels.

Main Methods:

• Data collected from 90 RNs across 91 shifts in a Lebanese acute-care hospital.
• Perceived workload measured using the NASA-Task-Load Index (NASA-TLX).
• Linear mixed-effect models employed for data analysis.

Main Results:

• Mean perceived workload was high, with day shifts reporting 6.63 and night shifts 5.90.
• Perceived workload was significantly lower on weekends/holidays compared to weekdays for both day and night shifts.
• Increased patient-to-nurse ratios were associated with higher perceived workload during day shifts.

Conclusions:

• Elevated perceived workload among RNs is confirmed, linked to weekdays and higher patient-to-nurse ratios.
• Further research is needed to characterize workload specificities to mitigate perceived burden.
• Findings can inform organizational and management strategies to improve nursing work environments.