Mediator Effects of Cognitive Load on Association between Self-Efficacy and Task Load in Intensive Care Unit Nurses

Area of Science:

• Nursing Science
• Cognitive Psychology
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Limited research exists on the interplay between self-efficacy, cognitive load, and task load in intensive care unit (ICU) nurses.
• Understanding these relationships is crucial for optimizing nursing practice and well-being.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the mediating effect of cognitive load on the association between self-efficacy and task load among ICU nurses.
• To identify potential strategies for reducing task load by addressing cognitive factors.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 253 ICU nurses from three tertiary hospitals in Beijing.
• Data collected using validated scales: NASA-TLX for task load, GSES for self-efficacy, and MDT-CL for cognitive load.
• Statistical analyses included Pearson correlation, multiple linear regression, and mediation analysis using PROCESS macro.

Main Results:

• Extraneous cognitive load partially mediated the relationship between self-efficacy and task load in ICU nurses.
• The mediating effect was negative (-0.707), indicating that higher self-efficacy was associated with lower extraneous cognitive load and subsequently lower task load.
• Cognitive load accounted for 51.64% of the total effect between self-efficacy and task load.

Conclusions:

• Improving ICU nurses' self-efficacy may be an effective strategy to mitigate extraneous cognitive load and overall task load.
• Nursing management should focus on interventions that influence the task load pathway, potentially by bolstering self-efficacy.
• These findings support the development of targeted interventions to enhance nurse well-being and ensure safe, high-quality patient care.