Workload Pressure Among Nurses in Central Europe: Implications for Human Resource Management in Poland, the Czech...

Nurses constitute the largest professional group in the healthcare system. Their work, which requires constant contact with patients, families, and medical staff, involves the risk of excessive psychological and physical strain. Understanding the mechanisms of work overload is crucial both for patient safety and for the professional well-being of staff.

The aim of this study was to examine whether excessive workload is present among professionally active nurses in Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic.

The study was conducted among three groups of nurses employed in hospitals in Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic. The survey was carried out from September 2024 to the end of March 2025. The study sample included 260 Polish nurses, 236 Slovak nurses, and 258 Czech nurses. The research tool consisted of a proprietary questionnaire covering sociodemographic data, as well as the standardized KONOP Work Overload Symptom Questionnaire. The chi-square test for independence was used for statistical analysis. To assess the strength of associations, Phi and Cramér's V coefficients were applied. The Mann-Whitney U test was used for nonparametric comparison of differences. Correlations between ordinal or quantitative variables were analyzed using Spearman's rho coefficient.

Nurses from Poland obtained the highest scores for loss of control over work, perfectionistic work style, and perceived organizational oppressiveness. The highest scores for general attitudes toward work were recorded among Slovak nurses. Statistically significant differences between the groups were found across all scales of the KONOP questionnaire.

The country of professional practice differentiates the level of excessive workload among nurses. The greater intensity of selected dimensions of workaholism among Polish nurses may indicate a higher organizational burden and stronger occupational pressure. The findings suggest the need to implement preventive measures aimed at reducing work overload and improving the organizational conditions of nurses' work environments.