Workload in the Surgical Center: perceptions, activities and time spent by nurses.

Area of Science:

• Nursing
• Healthcare Management
• Occupational Health

Background:

• A moderate and significant correlation exists between perceived workload and nurse age.
• Managerial activities account for the highest proportion of nurses' time.
• Mental demand is the primary dimension contributing to perceived workload.
• Direct patient care is a key source of job satisfaction for nurses.
• Nurses report a disconnect from the core essence of care due to other duties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the workload perceived by operating room nurses.
• To quantify the time spent on various nursing activities.
• To identify activities significantly influencing nurses' workload perception.

Main Methods:

• A sequential explanatory mixed-methods study.
• Quantitative phase: Survey of 34 nurses across five hospitals, with 129 hours of activity time measurement.
• Qualitative phase: Semi-structured interviews with 12 nurses, followed by data integration.

Main Results:

• A moderate, significant correlation (r=0.502, p=0.002) was found between nurse age and perceived workload.
• Managerial activities occupied the most time and were most influential on workload perception, particularly mental demand.
• Direct patient care, while time-consuming, was associated with job fulfillment.

Conclusions:

• Managerial tasks significantly influence operating room nurses' perceived workload.
• Nurses experience a potential loss of focus on direct patient care due to administrative duties.
• Addressing managerial workload components is crucial for improving nurses' job satisfaction and well-being.