Perceptions Of Workload Research Articles

Development of a Physical Simulator Model for Developing and Evaluating Endoscopic Endonasal Surgical Skills

Introduction: Endoscopic endonasal surgical approaches are becoming an important option in skull base surgery, but require the development of a unique skill set in the context of a team approach. There is a need for developing and evaluating endoscopic endonasal surgical skills outside of the operating room for training purposes and for proficiency assessment as has been done in other surgical disciplines. In this study, we test the ability of five simulated surgical tasks to discriminate between surgeons based on skill level and also investigate surgeon perceptions of workload and validity.

Primary and Secondary School Teachers’ Perceptions of Workload

The aim of the study is to determine the perception of workload of primary and secondary school teachers in Turkey in accordance with teachers’ opinion. The research data were collected using phenomenological pattern which is one of qualitative research methods, and analysis of documents was made. The research was made on 72 Primary and Secondary school teachers who have at least three years seniority working in 24 schools subordinate of Directorate of Istanbul Provincial Education. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The analysis of the resulting data was conducted by inductive content analysis. In the study, teachers generally state that security duties of teachers should be transferred to the security companies, and teachers should not interfere to the duty of collecting money from students in no way under any intentions. Again, according to the findings of the research, the most fatiguing, puzzling and time consuming issues as for teachers should be reduced which are, documents and correspondences, student tracking and control, disciplinary procedures, administrative meetings, collection of dues, ceremonies and celebrations, home visits and development of material as well. Questions of survey related to special education and guidance and counseling services should be asked by experts of this section and related ones since the related questions include very special subjects for children; as for data entries, they must be done by the school officers. The results are significant due to the fact that they offer a sight for the stakeholders about the works stated in teachers’ job description and the perception of the teachers themselves related to their workload.

Mental health of doctors in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.

IntroductionDoctors are vulnerable to psychiatric morbidity as a result of their busy schedules and multiple role obligations. Yet, they often don't admit they have mental health problems nor are they readily subjected to mental health evaluation by their colleagues due to fear of labeling and general stigma.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of doctors in the service of University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Ilorin, Nigeria was done using a socio-demographic questionnaire and the twelve items General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) using a cut-off point of 3 to indicate possibility of psychiatric disorder (GHQ-12 positive). Non-parametric analysis and regression test of factors associated with psychiatric morbidity was done using SPSS. Level of significance was set at 0.05 p-value.ResultsTwo hundred and forty one doctors representing 68.9% of the doctors participated in the survey. The point prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among the doctors using the GHQ-12 was 14.9%. Being married, non-participation in social activities and perception of work load as being “heavy” were significantly associated with psychiatric morbidity (p-value < 0.05).ConclusionThe prevalence of psychiatric morbidity among doctors at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital was higher than the general population prevalence. Measures to lessen the negative effect of marriage and the perceived heavy work load on mental health of doctors, such as provision of recreational facilities within the hospital and encouragement of doctors’ participation in social activities are advanced.

‘Time is not enough.’ Workload in higher education: a student perspective

Students' workload has been recognised as a major factor in the teaching and learning environment. This paper starts by structuring the different conceptualisations of workload described in the scientific literature. Besides the traditional distinction between objective and subjective or perceived workload, a distinction between conceptualisations focusing on the perception of quantitative and qualitative aspects of workload comes to the fore. This qualitative study investigates what workload means for students in higher education. Forty Civil Engineering and Educational Sciences Master's students were interviewed. The results show that ‘having time’ is a precondition for experiencing a manageable workload. When this precondition is fulfilled, the interest of a student and the ability to plan and set priorities play an important role in the perception of workload. Finally, the results show that several aspects of the learning environment can influence this interest and the perception of workload.

The challenges of implementing a telestroke network: a systematic review and case study

BackgroundThe use of telemedicine in acute stroke care can facilitate rapid access to treatment, but the work required to embed any new technology into routine practice is often hidden, and can be challenging. We aimed to collate recommendations and resources to support telestroke implementation.MethodsSystematic search of healthcare databases and the Internet to identify descriptions of the implementation of telestroke projects; interviews with key stakeholders during the development of one UK telestroke network. Supporting documentation from existing projects was analysed to construct a framework of implementation stages and tasks, and a toolkit of documents. Interviews and literature were analysed with other data sources using Normalisation Process Theory as described in the e-Health Implementation Toolkit.Results61 telestroke projects were identified and contacted. Twenty projects provided documents, 13 with published research detailing four stages of telestroke system development, implementation, use, and evaluation. Interviewees identified four main challenges: engaging and maintaining the commitment of a wide range of stakeholders across multiple organisations; addressing clinicians perceptions of evidence, workload, and payback; managing clinical and technical workability across diverse settings; and monitoring how the system is used and reconfigured by users.ConclusionsInformation to guide telestroke implementation is sparse, but available. By using multiple sources of data, sufficient information was collated to construct a web-based toolkit detailing implementation tasks, resources and challenges in the development of a telestroke system for assessment and thrombolysis delivery in acute care. The toolkit is freely available online.

Self-Reported Subjective Workload of On-Call Interns

Workload has traditionally been measured by using surrogates, such as number of patients admitted or census, but these may not fully represent the complex concept of workload. We measured self-reported subjective workload of interns and explored the relationship between subjective workload and possible predictors of it. Trained research assistants observed internal medicine interns on call on a general medicine service. Approximately once an hour, the research assistants recorded the self-reported subjective workload of the interns by using Borg's Self-Perceived Exertion Scale, a 6 to 20 scale, and also recorded their own perceptions of the intern's workload. Research assistants continuously recorded the tasks performed by the interns. Interns were surveyed before and after the observation to obtain demographic and census data. Our sample included 25 interns, with a mean age of 28.6years (SD, 2.4years). Mean self-reported subjective workload was 12.0 (SD, 2.4). Mean self-reported subjective workload was significantly correlated with intern age (r = 0.49, P < .05), but not with team or intern census, number of admissions, or number of patients cross-covered. Self-reported subjective workload in the period after sign-out was significantly higher than in the period before and during sign-out (P < .001). Self-reported subjective workload was not associated with traditional measures of workload. However, receiving sign-out and assuming the care of cross-coverage patients may be related to higher subjective workload in interns. Given the patient safety implications of workload, it is important that the medical education community have tools to evaluate workload and identify contributors to it.

Perceptions of Educational Experience and Inpatient Workload Among Pediatric Residents

Education of residents in academic medical centers occurs as part of clinical care, but little is known about the relationship between clinical workload and educational experiences among pediatric residents. The goal of this study was to assess residents' perceptions of learning on inpatient services at a children's hospital in relation to perceived workload and actual patient census. This was a prospective cohort study of pediatric residents at 1 urban academic children's hospital. Surveys on educational experience were administered weekly to residents on 12 inpatient units from October 2010 to June 2011. Daily peak medical inpatient census data were collected, and Pearson correlations were performed. Mean weekly response rate was 25%. Perceived workload was correlated with weekly peak of patient census for interns (r = 0.66; P= .00) and senior residents (r = 0.73; P = .00). Many aspects of perceived learning were negatively correlated with perceived workload among interns and residents in "acute care" units. Activities beyond direct patient care (eg, attending conferences, independent reading) revealed more negative correlation than educational experience during rounds. Among seniors, scores of aspects of perceived learning did not correlate with workload. The study found mostly negative associations between high perceived workload and perceived learning, especially for interns. Results suggest varied impact of workload on perceived learning by training year. Although patient care is essential for resident education, higher workload may adversely affect learning opportunities for pediatric trainees. More research is needed to identify if generalizable thresholds of patient census and/or clinical workload cause declines in perceived or real education.

The association of subjective workload dimensions on quality of care and pharmacist quality of work life

Workload has been described both objectively (e.g., number of prescriptions dispensed per pharmacist) as well as subjectively (e.g., pharmacist's perception of busyness). These approaches might be missing important characteristics of pharmacist workload that have not been previously identified and measured. To measure the association of community pharmacists' workload perceptions at three levels (organization, job, and task) with job satisfaction, burnout, and perceived performance of two tasks in the medication dispensing process. A secondary data analysis was performed using cross-sectional survey data collected from Wisconsin (US) community pharmacists. Organization-related workload was measured as staffing adequacy; job-related workload was measured as general and specific job demands; task-related workload was measured as internal and external mental demands. Pharmacists' perceived task performance was assessed for patient profile review and patient consultation. The survey was administered to a random sample of 500 pharmacists who were asked to opt in if they were a community pharmacist. Descriptive statistics and correlations of study variables were determined. Two structural equation models were estimated to examine relationships between the study variables and perceived task performance. From the 224 eligible community pharmacists that agreed to participate, 165 (73.7%) usable surveys were completed and returned. Job satisfaction and job-related monitoring demands had direct positive associations with both dispensing tasks. External task demands were negatively related to perceived patient consultation performance. Indirect effects on both tasks were primarily mediated through job satisfaction, which was positively related to staffing adequacy and cognitive job demands and negatively related to volume job demands. External task demands had an additional indirect effect on perceived patient consultation performance, as it was associated with lower levels of job satisfaction and higher levels of burnout. Allowing community pharmacists to concentrate on tasks and limiting interruptions while performing these tasks are important factors in improving quality of patient care and pharmacist work life. The results have implications for strategies to improve patient safety and pharmacist performance.

Don’t interrupt me! An examination of the relationship between intrusions at work and employee strain.

Interruptions by others, or intrusions, are a common phenomenon in today’s workplaces. Intrusions can be disruptive for employees because they displace time required to complete job tasks (thereby increasing perceptions of workload). However, from a resources perspective, intrusions are associated with strain incrementally beyond that of displaced time through the depletion of self-regulatory and cognitive resources. That is, intrusions explain incremental variability in strain (i.e., emotional exhaustion, physical complaints, and anxiety). In a sample of 252 U.S. employees recruited through StudyResponse, we found that workload explained 12% of variability in exhaustion, 11% of variability in physical complaints, and 7% of variability in anxiety. However, intrusions accounted for significant incremental validity beyond that of workload in exhaustion (9%), physical complaints (4%), and anxiety (3%). These results suggest intrusions are associated with strain, uniquely, beyond that of workload.

Perceptions of mental workload in Dutch university employees of different ages: a focus group study

BackgroundAs academic workload seems to be increasing, many studies examined factors that contribute to the mental workload of academics. Age-related differences in work motives and intellectual ability may lead to differences in experienced workload and in the way employees experience work features. This study aims to obtain a better understanding of age differences in sources of mental workload. 33 academics from one faculty discussed causes of workload during focus group interviews, stratified by age.FindingsAmong our participants, the influence of ageing seems most evident in employees’ actions and reactions, while the causes of workload mentioned seemed largely similar. These individual reactions to workload may also be driven by differences in tenure. Most positively assessed work characteristics were: interaction with colleagues and students and autonomy. Aspects most often indicated as increasing the workload, were organisational aspects as obstacles for ‘getting the best out of people’ and the feeling that overtime seems unavoidable. Many employees indicated to feel stretched between the ‘greediness’ of the organisation and their own high working standards, and many fear to be assigned even less time for research if they do not meet the rigorous output criteria. Moreover, despite great efforts on their part, promotion opportunities seem limited. A more pronounced role for the supervisor seems appreciated by employees of all ages, although the specific interpretation varied between individuals and career stages.ConclusionsTo preserve good working conditions and quality of work, it seems important to scrutinize the output requirements and tenure-based needs for employee supervision.

Factors influencing faculty perceptions of teaching workload

BackgroundTeaching workloads are often not clearly defined at academic institutions. Within health professional programs, the existence of both didactic and experiential teaching assignments make equitable distribution of teaching workloads more complex. Several reports in the literature have described the development of workload allocation formulas that have been predicted to improve faculty perceptions of fairness. Additional factors such as faculty shortage and lack of teaching support can influence faculty perceptions of workload. ObjectivesThe primary objective of this study was to investigate the relationship between the presence of workload measurement and allocation formulas and faculty satisfaction with workload. A secondary objective was to investigate the influence of several factors such as teaching support on workload dissatisfaction. MethodsUpper level administrators at six schools of pharmacy were interviewed in order to identify variables associated with workload assignments. This information was incorporated into a survey instrument to access faculty perceptions of teaching workload, and a link to the survey was sent via email to 690 faculty members at 12 pharmacy schools, with a request for their participation. ResultsThe survey response rate was 43%. ConclusionsThe presence of workload measurement and workload allocation formulas were indicated by 37% and 14% of the respondents, respectively. The ability to participate in teaching schedule development appeared to improve workload satisfaction, whereas the presence of a workload allocation formula appeared to improve workload satisfaction and perceptions of fairness. A shortage of teaching support was the major factor associated with teaching workload dissatisfaction.

生活活動と交代勤務スケジュールからみた交代勤務看護師の疲労回復

The period of leisure is an appropriate time to recover from work-induced fatigue, though some recovery takes place during rest breaks at work. Recently, much attention has been paid to the critical role of leisure activity in recovery. However, the findings relevant to shiftwork nurses who cannot take a day-off regularly are limited. This study explored how leisure activity during days off and shift work schedule are associated with recovery from fatigue in nurses working rotating shifts. A total of 426 nurses working rotating shifts at a university hospital returned a questionnaire regarding leisure activity and fatigue (response rate: 81.5%). Nurses were eligible for this study if they were female, worked 2 or 3 shifts, and had no missing data. A total of 390 respondents satisfied the inclusion criteria. A factor analysis classified their responses on how to spend an assumed period of two consecutive days off into three activity types: outdoor-, sleep-, and indoor-oriented. Fatigue (recovery from fatigue, accumulated fatigue, burnout), work conditions (working time, overtime, nightshift napping), sleep (sleep duration before day shift or day off, sleepiness) were measured. These data were analyzed using a two-way mixed model analysis of covariance (type [outdoor, sleep, indoor], shift schedule [two or three-shift system]). Covariates included age, length of career, partner, children, and hospital ward. Multiple regression analyses were performed to examine the factors determining the level of fatigue. Outdoor-oriented nurses showed significantly faster fatigue recovery, lower accumulated fatigue and less burnout symptoms than others, regardless of the shiftwork schedule. In contrast, sleep-oriented nurses showed significantly slower recovery from fatigue. Besides, their level of fatigue deteriorated more when they worked under a 3-shift system (counter-clockwise) compared with under 2-shift system (with mainly 16-hour nightshift). Multiple regression analysis indicated that sleep-oriented type of leisure activity, workload perception of working time, work-induced insomnia and length of nightshift naps were significantly related to fatigue-related outcomes. The primary finding of this study suggests that the level of fatigue is associated with the type of leisure activity, especially sleep-oriented activity, during shiftwork nurses' days off. Also, ensuring sufficient nightshift nap time may be one of the most important nightshift-related factors for recovery from fatigue. The present findings may have implications for appropriate activities during days off as factors facilitating recovery from work, though further investigations are needed to examine the causal links.

Nurse practice environment, workload, burnout, job outcomes, and quality of care in psychiatric hospitals: a structural equation model approach

To study the relationships between nurse practice environment, workload, burnout, job outcomes and nurse-reported quality of care in psychiatric hospital staff. Nurses' practice environments in general hospitals have been extensively investigated. Potential variations across practice settings, for instance in psychiatric hospitals, have been much less studied. A cross-sectional design with a survey. A structural equation model previously tested in acute hospitals was evaluated using survey data from a sample of 357 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, and non-registered caregivers from two psychiatric hospitals in Belgium between December 2010-April 2011. The model included paths between practice environment dimensions and outcome variables, with burnout in a mediating position. A workload measure was also tested as a potential mediator between the practice environment and outcome variables. An improved model, slightly modified from the one validated earlier in samples of acute care nurses, was confirmed. This model explained 50% and 38% of the variance in job outcomes and nurse-reported quality of care respectively. In addition, workload was found to play a mediating role in accounting for job outcomes and significantly improved a model that ultimately explained 60% of the variance in these variables. In psychiatric hospitals as in general hospitals, nurse-physician relationship and other organizational dimensions such as nursing and hospital management were closely associated with perceptions of workload and with burnout and job satisfaction, turnover intentions, and nurse-reported quality of care. Mechanisms linking key variables and differences across settings in these relationships merit attention by managers and researchers.

Usability of e-Readers for Book Navigation Tasks

Even though more people are beginning to use e-Readers, electronic reading devices, little research exists on the usability of these devices for book reading. This study looks at the usability of three touch-screen e-Readers (iPad, Kindle Fire, and Nook Tablet) for basic book navigation tasks. During the study, participants ( N = 16) were asked to complete a series of tasks (e.g., bookmarking a page, highlighting text, etc.) on the three e-Readers, and rate the difficulty of each task. Task completion time and number of taps required to complete each task on each device was also recorded. Participants rated each device on their perception of workload and satisfaction. When they completed all the tasks on all the devices, participants were asked to rank each device on a series of attributes and overall preference. Results revealed no overall “winner” and no significant differences between the devices on perceived workload and satisfaction. Each device proved to have some strengths and weaknesses by task. The Nook was preferred more than the iPad and Kindle for its menu structure, and the iPad was ranked higher than the Kindle and Nook on highlighting and notes. The Kindle was preferred for tasks which required changing text size and text searching. Suggestions are offered for the improvement of future touch screen e-Readers.

Considering Context: The Role of Mental Workload and Operator Control in Users' Perceptions of Usability

In developing an application, the importance of usability and user experience has become increasingly emphasized over the past few decades. An important factor in understanding these is the context in which the application is being used. To better understand the direct effect of context, two task characteristics (i.e., mental workload and operator control) were manipulated and their effects on perceived usability were examined through an experiment using simulated home security systems. The experimental results showed that both mental workload and operator control had significant effects on perceived usability. Also, the perceptions of mental workload and operator control were strongly correlated with perceived usability. The interaction between the mental workload and the operator control factors was not significant. Possible reasons for the results and practical implications for the findings are discussed.

An ergonomic evaluation of tasks of healthcare unit personnel in different shifts in General Hospitals in West Bengal

Background: The job challenges faced by healthcare unit personnel are psychological, temporal and physically demanding. Studies on psychological stress on nurses are available but unfortunately studies on physiological load or temporal analysis of tasks of nurses or attendants in general hospitals in India have not been reported so far. Objective: The study aims at evaluating the perception of workload in different shifts among healthcare unit personnel and to develop better ergonomic management protocols. Participants: The study population comprised 150 staff nurses and 175 attendants working in three government hospitals in West Bengal, India. Method: The amount of time spent by nurses and attendants performing different tasks were recorded throughout the shifts using an activity analysis chart along with perceived exertion rating and heart rate throughout the shifts. Results: About 26.8% of the total working time throughout the day was spent in “direct care”. In case of general duty attendants 24.4% of the duty time was spent in indirect care. Time spent in different tasks differed by shifts. More leisure time occurs in the night shift compared to the morning and afternoon shifts but duration of shift was longer (11 to 12 hours). Perceived exertion rating of healthcare unit personnel in night shift was more compared to other shifts but physiological response did not reflect that. Conclusion: There were temporal variations of job demand in healthcare units. So, ergonomic orientation of layouts of departments, arrangement of activities, ergonomic way of keeping the records and use of proper communication system, recommended reducing the stress of healthcare unit personnel.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijosh.v2i2.6566 International Journal of Occupational Safety and Health, Vol 2. No 2 (2012) 14-22

Measuring Community Corrections’ Officials Perceptions of Goals, Strategies, and Workload From a Systems Perspective

The criminal justice system has experienced changes related to correctional population growth over the past 30years. This article applies general systems theory to assess differences between directors’ and nondirectors’ perceptions of community corrections goals of supervision, importance of officer tasks, and the time required to complete such tasks. Policy implications are drawn from the results of a web-based survey of the American Probation and Parole Association.

Impacts of unit-level nurse practice environment, workload and burnout on nurse-reported outcomes in psychiatric hospitals: A multilevel modelling approach

AimTo investigate impacts of practice environment factors, nurse perceptions of workload and self-reported burnout at the unit-level on job outcomes and nurse-assessed quality of care in psychiatric hospitals. BackgroundAssociations between practice environments and nurse and patient outcomes have been widely described in acute care hospitals in nursing research examining variables primarily at the respondent level. Research on this topic in psychiatric hospitals is sparse. DesignA cross-sectional design with a survey. MethodSamples of registered nurses, licenced practical nurses and non-registered caregivers from 32 clinical units in two psychiatric hospitals were surveyed. Validated instruments were used to measure work environment, workload, burnout, job outcomes and nurse-perceived quality of care. Unit-level associations were examined using multilevel modelling techniques. ResultsMultiple multilevel models identified depersonalization and nurse–physician relations as predictors of turnover intentions and quality of care of the interdisciplinary team. Ratings of nursing management at the unit level were predictors of all of the quality of care variables. Emotional exhaustion was predictive of quality of care at the unit level. While workload was correlated with burnout, it was not predictive of any of the outcomes examined in multiple multilevel models. ConclusionWhile relatively low levels of burnout and fairly favourable job and quality of care outcomes were reported by the mental health personnel surveyed, differences across units in ratings of practice environment factors such as nurse–physician relations and nurse management as well as levels of depersonalization were predictive of outcomes. While most findings are consistent with those from other studies of acute care settings, some (slight) differences were also identified.

Human resources for health care delivery in Tanzania: a multifaceted problem

BackgroundRecent years have seen an unprecedented increase in funds for procurement of health commodities in developing countries. A major challenge now is the efficient delivery of commodities and services to improve population health. With this in mind, we documented staffing levels and productivity in peripheral health facilities in southern Tanzania.MethodA health facility survey was conducted to collect data on staff employed, their main tasks, availability on the day of the survey, reasons for absenteeism, and experience of supervisory visits from District Health Teams. In-depth interview with health workers was done to explore their perception of work load. A time and motion study of nurses in the Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) clinics documented their time use by task.ResultsWe found that only 14% (122/854) of the recommended number of nurses and 20% (90/441) of the clinical staff had been employed at the facilities. Furthermore, 44% of clinical staff was not available on the day of the survey. Various reasons were given for this. Amongst the clinical staff, 38% were absent because of attendance to seminar sessions, 8% because of long-training, 25% were on official travel and 20% were on leave. RCH clinic nurses were present for 7 hours a day, but only worked productively for 57% of time present at facility. Almost two-third of facilities had received less than 3 visits from district health teams during the 6 months preceding the survey.ConclusionThis study documented inadequate staffing of health facilities, a high degree of absenteeism, low productivity of the staff who were present and inadequate supervision in peripheral Tanzanian health facilities. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of decentralized health care in Tanzania.

Analysis of the work of air traffic controllers of the approach control area (APP) of Porto Alegre, Brazil

This article presents a study on the activities of the air traffic controllers of the Approach Control Area (APP) of Porto Alegre, Brazil, in different real scenarios. Based on interviews, questionnaires and the analysis of film of real scenes, the following were identified and analyzed: i) the perceptions of risk and complexity of the different air traffic scenes observed; ii) the cognitive factors (knowledge, strategy and attention dynamics) involved in the task and iii) the perception of the controller's workload. The results showed that the task complexity depends on the weather conditions, the number and type of aircraft in observation and that the controllers perceive the scenes in a similar way irrespective of their time in the profession and the type of control (radar or coordination). Attention is the cognitive factor with the greatest impact on the work and mental demand has the greatest impact on workload followed by time demand. The literature on the controllers work in Brazil is scarce and, therefore, this study aimed to contribute to the understanding of the work in one APP in order to promote future changes in the very problematic Brazilian air traffic system.