Evaluation of Nurses’ Workload in the Intensive Care Unit, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Coronary Care Unit: An Analytical Study

Abstract

Introduction: The workload on nurses can have adverse effects on the patient, nurse and healthcare system such as reduced quality of care, increased risk of nursing errors, reduced patient satisfaction, increased nurse anxiety, increased nursing job stress, increased risk of infection, increase in the length of hospital stay and increased risk of death. Aim: The present study was designed and conducted to compare nurses’ workload in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), and Coronary Care Units (CCU). Materials and Methods: The present study is a cross sectional analytical study that was conducted in the ICU, NICU and CCU of educational hospitals affiliated to Qazvin University of Medical Sciences. The convenience sampling method was used. A nursing activity score was used to assess nurses’ workload. The total score in this instrument is between zero and 178. Data were analysed using SPSS 16. Pearson correlation coefficient, chi-square, independent t-test, one-way analysis of variance was used. Results: The mean score of the total workload in nurses was 104.19±25.18. Regarding the primary purpose of the study, the results of the present study showed that the mean score of nurses’ workload was significantly higher in nurses working in the NICU than nurses working in the ICU and CCU (p<0.05). Among the demographic variables, only the marital status was significantly associated with nurses’ workload, that married nurses experienced more workload in some shifts (p<0.05). Conclusion: Nurses working in NICUs experienced a higher level of workload compared to the nurses in ICU and CCU. Due to the high workload of nurses in the NICU and the complications that this can cause for neonatal patients and nurses, it is necessary to pay more attention to the distribution of nurses in these wards.