Perceptions Of Workload Research Articles

University Hospital Physicians' Perception of Workload and Improvement of Working Conditions

University Hospital Physicians' Perception of Workload and Improvement of Working Conditions

Relaxation Techniques to Overcome Stress

People face situations in everyday life that evoke the stress response. The mind varies the biochemical functions of the major organ systems in response to feedback. Thoughts and feelings influence the production of chemicals that circulate throughout the body and convey messages via cells to various system within the body. The relaxation response is the state of generalized decreased cognitive, physiological and or behavioral modifications that often alters physical responses to stress and improve symptoms such as muscle tension, discomfort, pain or sleep disturbances. Relaxation technique enables individuals to exert control over their lives. Relaxation also reduces workplace stress on nursing units, often leading to improved job satisfaction, staff relationships and communication and workload perceptions.

Increasing Student Engagement Within the Core Nutritional Sciences Curriculum: A Gameful Learning Approach

Innovative learning strategies are constantly developed to increase student engagement and application of course content to improve learning outcomes. Gameful Learning pedagogy is one such strategy that builds students’ intrinsic motivation, confidence, and engagement to course material by allowing them to choose from a menu of optional assignments to earn points toward a grade. Little is known about student perceptions and outcomes from applying this pedagogy to dietetics and nutritional sciences graduate-level curricula. This article describes the implementation of Gameful Learning to an Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics–accredited nutritional sciences graduate degree course and evaluates student perceptions and outcomes. Two student cohorts from 2016 (pre–Gameful Learning) and 2017 (implementation of Gameful Learning) who were enrolled in a nutritional sciences graduate-level course were compared. Student teaching evaluations were compared across cohorts. Specific items measuring student perceptions of fairness, knowledge gained, and workload were analyzed. Mann–Whitney nonparametric tests compared groups and Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient measured associations. There was a positive correlation between total points and optional points (Pearson’s r = 0.513, p = .0001). There was an overall increased perception toward the excellence of the course (3.82 to 4.13; 5-point Likert-type scale), improved sense of fairness (3.79 to 4.17; p = .036), and increased perception of workload (2.35 to 2.20; where 1 student indicated more work and 5 indicated less work). Although challenges in workload exist, Gameful Learning strategies aid in improving student outcomes and perceptions of course material by facilitating student autonomy and engagement with course content.

Doctor, are you healthy? A cross-sectional investigation of oncologist burnout, depression, and anxiety and an investigation of their associated factors

PurposeDoctors who work at cancer hospitals are at high risk of developing emotional distress. This study evaluated the prevalence of burnout, anxiety, and depression in a sample of oncologists of various specialties and sought to identify how much of this distress is explained by specific pre-established characteristics.MethodsThis cross-sectional study used online surveys. Burnout was measured using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), and anxiety and depression were measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The variables associated with p-values < 0.10 in the univariate analyses were included in blocks of hierarchical binary logistic regression models to identify the predictors of burnout, depression, and anxiety.ResultsOf the 227 physicians (response rate = 70.5%), 132 (58.1%) were identified as having burnout (high emotional exhaustion [EE] and depersonalization [DP]); furthermore, 28 (12.3%) had depression (HADS-D ≥ 11), and 44 (19.4%) had anxiety (HADS-A ≥ 11). The block of perceptions related to the workplace explained 22.4%, 7.7%, and 10.6% of the variances of burnout, depression, and anxiety, respectively. On the other hand, the outside-of-work characteristics block explained only 3.1%, 13.4%, and 3.4% of the variances of burnout, depression, and anxiety, respectively.ConclusionsWork-related stressors are associated with burnout, but few are associated with anxiety and depression. Outside-of-work characteristics explained little of the distress reported by physicians. Strategies focused on perceptions of professional recognition and lower workloads that stimulate positive relationships between doctors and other health professionals are desirable in oncological context.

Perceived Workload and an Automated Workload Alert System: A Comparison in the Emergency Department

The aim of this study was twofold—(1) to compare the current ED staffing workload alert system to clinicians’ perceptions of workload in the ED, and (2) to examine the potential impact of a multi-faceted, systems-level intervention on clinicians’ perceptions of workload. Constant flow of patients into the Emergency Departments (ED) regularly increases the workload of clinicians and can compromise the quality of care delivery and patient safety. An automatic staffing workload alert system was created and implemented in response to an observed shift in patient volume to the overnight hours at one academic quaternary care center. Surveys addressing workload and interruptions were administered to ED clinicians, pre-and post-intervention implementation. Output from the staffing workload alert system was recorded for each clinician shift. Clinicians’ perceptions of workload were able to predict swing shift activations, χ2(6) = 14.14, p = 0.028. Only the performance subscale significantly correlated with swing shift activations, p=0.006. A Kruskal-Wallis H test found perceived interruptions changed following systems-level changes, χ2(1) = 7.195, p = 0.007. Utilizing subjective measure of clinicians’ workload validated an objective, automated staffing workload alert system that determined if swing shift activations are necessary.

Assessment of nursing workload in adult psychiatric inpatient units: A scoping review.

Introduction No systematic reviews on measurement tools in adult psychiatric inpatient settings exist in the literature, and thus, further research is required on ways to identify approaches to calculate safe nurse staffing levels based on patients' care needs in adult psychiatric inpatient units. Aim To identify instruments that enable an assessment of nursing workload in psychiatric settings. Method A scoping review was conducted. Results Four studies were identified, with five instruments used to support the calculation of staff needs and workload. All four studies present methodological limitations. Two instruments have already been adapted to this specific context, but validation studies are lacking. Discussion The findings indicate that the tools used to evaluate nursing workload in these settings require further development, with the concomitant need for more research to clarify the definition of nursing workload as well as to identify factors with the greatest impact on nursing workload. Implications for practice This review highlights the need to develop tools to assess workload in psychiatric inpatient units that embrace patient-related and non-patient-related activities. The great challenge is to enable a sensitive perception of workload resulting from nurses' psychotherapeutic interventions, an important component of treatment for many patients.

Developing and assessing electronic checklists for safety mindfulness, workload, and performance

PurposeThe aim of this study is to propose a set of innovative principles for the effective design of electronic checklists to enhance safety mindfulness (a specific safety mindful mindset that offers the opportunity to operate more preemptively during routine quality assurance tasks) and discuss some of our preliminary results from testing our proposed electronic checklist with dosimetrists and physicists. Methods and materialsA multidisciplinary team designed, developed, and evaluated the utility of the electronic checklist (vs paper-based checklist) to promote safety mindfulness. Subjective workload was measured at the end of each assessment/scenario. Performance was quantified on the basis of discovery of purposefully embedded errors, time to complete the scenario, and additional concerns that were documented by the participants. ResultsUse of the electronic checklist was associated with decreases in time to scenario completion (P < .01) and increases in documentation of additional patient safety and plan quality concerns (P = .04) but had no significant impact on the recognition of purposefully embedded errors or perceptions of workload. ConclusionsOur proposed principles for the design of electronic checklists may improve the efficiency of quality assurance procedures while enhancing users’ safety mindfulness. Future research is needed to better understand the utility of our proposed design principles on patient safety from a long-term use perspective.

Health care providers' compliance with the notifiable diseases surveillance system in South Africa.

BackgroundThe optimal performance of a notifiable disease surveillance system (NDSS) is dependent on health care provider (HCP) compliance with communicable disease notification. HCP compliance ensures appropriate investigation and control measures by relevant health care authorities. This study examines the compliance of HCPs with the NDSS in South Africa and factors associated with their compliance.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was carried out in three randomly selected provinces. We stratified by type of facility, and recruited clusters of HCPs on survey day to participate. All consenting HCPs in the randomly selected health care facilities on the day of the survey, completed a questionnaire that elicited information on socio-demographic characteristics and notification practices. The data were analysed using STATA® 14, using the identifiers for stratum and cluster as well as the calculated sampling weights.ResultsThe study found that 58% of 919 HCPs diagnosed a notifiable disease in the year preceding the survey. The majority of these professionals (92%) indicated that they had reported the disease, but only 51% of those notified the disease/s correctly to the Department of Health. Paediatricians were less likely to notify correctly (OR 0.01, 95% CI 0.00–0.12, p = 0.001). The factors that influenced notification were HCPs perceptions of workload (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.70–0.99, p = 0.043) and that notification data are not useful (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.71–0.99, p = 0.040). The study found no association between correct notification and HCPs’ willingness to notify, experience or training on the NDSS, understanding of the purpose of the NDSS, knowledge of what to notify, or perception of feedback given.ConclusionsThe compliance of HCPs in South Africa with the NDSS is suboptimal. In light of the important role of HCPs in the effective functioning of the NDSS, information on NDSS usefulness and guidelines on correct notification procedures are needed to increase their compliance.

The impact of a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination campaign on routine primary health service provision and health workers in Tanzania: a controlled before and after study

BackgroundThe burden of cervical cancer and shortage of screening services in Tanzania confers an urgent need for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. However, the sustainability and impact of another new vaccine campaign in an under-resourced health system requires consideration. We aimed to determine the impact of the government’s school-based HPV vaccine campaign in Kilimanjaro region on the provision of routine primary health services and staff workload.MethodsData on daily numbers of consultations were collected from health facility register books in 63 dispensaries and health centres in North-West Tanzania for 20 weeks in 2014. Changes in outpatient, antenatal care (ANC), family planning (FP) and immunisation service activity levels before, during and after the two HPV vaccination campaigns in 2014 in 30 facilities within Kilimanjaro region (‘intervention facilities’) were compared with changes in activity levels in 33 facilities in Arusha region (‘controls’). Qualitative interviews were conducted with health workers in Kilimanjaro region who delivered HPV vaccination and those who remained at the facility during in-school HPV vaccine delivery to explore perceptions of workload and capacity.ResultsHealth facility activity levels were low and very variable in both regions. Controlling for district, facility type, catchment population, clinical staff per 1000 catchment population and the timing of other campaigns, no evidence of a decrease in consultations at the health facility during HPV vaccination week was found across outpatient, ANC, routine immunisation and FP services. However, compared to the average week before and after the campaign, health workers reported longer working hours and patient waiting times, feeling over-stretched and performing duties outside their normal roles whilst colleagues were absent from the facility conducting the HPV vaccine campaign.ConclusionQualitative interviews with health workers revealed that staff absence from the health facility is common for a number of reasons, including vaccination campaigns. Health workers perceived that the absence of their colleagues increased the workload at the health facility. The numbers of consultations for each service on ‘normal days’ were low and highly variable and there was no clear detrimental effect of the HPV vaccination campaign on routine health service activity.

Exploring Nursing Students Engagement in Their Learning Environment

Student engagement is seen more than to just involve student during organization time its meaning has become more vast than previously assumed. Now, it is viewed by diverse aspects not a one aspect consider enough to define engagement. Student’s emotional, cognitive and behavioral participation in their learning environment is considered as true engagement. It is not also helpful to engage student in course material but also help students to get better outcome. Nursing student engagement is essential in this respect that they have to pay double role. They not only engage in class room but also in clinical setting. In this research Cross-sectional study was done. Student Engagement Questionnaire (SEQ) developed by David Kember and Doris Leuing was used. Sample size of n=135 undergraduate students were taken. Data analyzed by using software SPSS 21. Bench markers of student engagement were analyzed by Pearson correlation and association between students engagements were analyzed by regression analysis. Results shows higher mean score in domain of meaningful process. Component of student engagement critical thinking, creative thinking and computer skills were highest mean score. Student shows the highest perception of work load and stress. There were no significant relationship between student engagement and self-reported cumulative GPA.

Nurses' work environment: indicators of satisfaction.

This study aimed to investigate nurses' perceptions of the nursing work environment in Jordanian hospitals. Previous research has indicated a strong relationship between nurses' work environment and their satisfaction at work. However, little is known about the situation in Jordan. A cross-sectional and descriptive design was used. A sample of 500 nurses was recruited. The study was conducted using the Individual Workload Perception Revised scale (IWPS-R). A sum of 382 out of 500 nurses from three health care sectors in Jordan responded to the questionnaires (response rate=76.4%). The results indicate that nurses working in the public hospitals had significantly better perceptions about their work environment than nurses working in private and university hospitals. Older nurses with lower academic qualifications are more likely to be satisfied with their work. Furthermore, nurses who have good perceptions of support from their manager and peers, and a manageable workload are more likely to stay in their jobs. The public hospitals are currently considered a more suitable milieu for nurses in Jordan. Other health care sectors should work to enhance nurses' working conditions. Providing a supportive work environment with a manageable workload will encourage nurses to stay in their hospitals.

The relationship between workload perceptions and work and family conflicts of academicians

The relationship between workload perceptions and work and family conflicts of academicians

Effect of alternating postures on cognitive performance for healthy people performing sedentary work

Prolonged sitting is a risk factor for several diseases and the prevalence of worksite-based interventions such as sit-to-stand workstations is increasing. Although their impact on sedentary behaviour has been regularly investigated, the effect of working in alternating body postures on cognitive performance is unclear. To address this uncertainty, 45 students participated in a two-arm, randomised controlled cross-over trial under laboratory conditions. Subjects executed validated cognitive tests (working speed, reaction time, concentration performance) either in sitting or alternating working postures on two separate days (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02863731). MANOVA results showed no significant difference in cognitive performance between trials executed in alternating, standing or sitting postures. Perceived workload did not differ between sitting and alternating days. Repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant learning effects regarding concentration performance and working speed for both days. These results suggest that working posture did not affect cognitive performance in the short term.Practitioner Summary: Prior reports indicated health-related benefits based on alternated (sit/stand) body postures. Nevertheless, their effect on cognitive performance is unknown. This randomised controlled trial showed that working in alternating body postures did not influence reaction time, concentration performance, working speed or workload perception in the short term.

Perception of Workload and its Relation to Perceived Teaching and Learning Environments among Finnish and Chinese University Students

Earlier research has shown that an excessive workload has a substantial negative effect on students' well being. The present study examines how Finnish and Chinese university students' perceptions of workload are related to their perceptions of the teaching and learning environments (TLE). This is done in order to determine whether the perceived workload of students could be reduced by improving the quality of their TLE. Also the levels of experienced workload of Finnish and Chinese students are compared in this study. The group of participants consisted of 3035 Finnish students and 2309 Chinese students. Since this work is cross-cultural in nature, the adequacy of the level of structural equivalence of the research instrument was confirmed, and, when appropriate, the effect of different response styles on the results was taken into account. Both standard and robust statistical methods were used for the analyses. The results show that in both the Finnish and the Chinese groups the students' perceptions of their workload and TLE are significantly but rather weakly related. Furthermore, irrespectively of whether the response styles are accounted for or not, the results indicate that Chinese students perceive a heavier workload than do Finnish students.

Perceptions of women on workloads in health facilities and its effect on maternal health care: A multi-site qualitative study in Nigeria

Objectiveof the study was to explore women's perception of maternal health care providers’ workload and its effects on the delivery of maternal healthcare in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Research Design, setting, participantsfive focus groups discussions (FGDs) were conducted with women in each of eight secondary and tertiary hospitals in 8 States in four geo-political zones of the country. In all, 40 FGDs were held with women attending antenatal and post-natal clinics in the hospitals. We elicited information on women's perceptions of workloads of maternal health providers and the effects of the workloads on maternity care. The discussions were audio-taped and transcribed while thematic analysis was carried out using Atlas.ti computer software. Findingsthe majority of the participants submitted that the health providers are burdened with heavy workloads in the provision of maternal health care. Examples of heavy workload cited included complaints from health providers, evidence of stress and strain in care provision by providers and the sheer numbers of patients that are left unattended to in health facilities. Poor quality care, insufficient time to carry out necessary investigations on patients, and prolonged waiting time experienced by women in accessing care featured as consequences of heavy workload, with the secondary result that women are reluctant to seek care in the health facilities because of the belief that they would spend a long time in receiving care. Key conclusions and implications for practicewe conclude that women are concerned about heavy workloads experienced by healthcare providers and may partly account for the low utilization of referral health facilities for maternal health care in Nigeria. Efforts to address this problem should include purposeful human resource policy development, the development of incentives for health providers, and the proper re-organization of the health system.

Using an informal competitive practical to stimulate links between the theoretical and practical in fluid mechanics: A case study in non-assessment driven learning approaches

This study outlines a practical intervention in a second-year fluid mechanics course. The practical was designed using the framework of Legitimation Code Theory, with the aim of stimulating active links between the theoretical and practical (in this case pump and piping networks, head loss and application of the energy equation), through a group-based competitive, informal, interactive learning event. The effect on students’ perceptions and anxiety were recorded, and it was seen that students’ perceptions of workload, anxiety and time pressure decreased. Substantial evidence of cumulative learning was noted, both during the practical session, as well as in student responses. And while the data do not conclusively elucidate the extent and timeframe over which this benefits the students’ results, what is clear is that participants both critically engaged and were enriched by the practical. The project lays the foundation for similar theory- and application-linking practicals based on a non-assessment paradigm.

Ergonomic evaluation of physiological stress of building construction workers associated with manual material handling tasks

Purpose: In India, the cost of manpower is very low; hence Manual Material Handling (MMH) is the cheapest solution. This study aimed to quantify the cardiac strain and postural stress of male building construction workers associated with MMH tasks. Materials and methods: Mean (SD) age (years) and job experience (years) of the workers were 31.0(4.65) and 8.8 (3.23), respectively (n=35). Working peak heart rate was recorded by polar heart rate monitor, posture analysis was done by the Ovako Working Posture Analysis System (OWAS) and the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method, body part discomfort was assessed by the Nordic questionnaire, and perceived exertion was evaluated by the Borg scale. Two-tailed unpaired Student’s t test was performed between peak heart rate of workers associated with MMH tasks and upper extremity intensive tasks (n=31). Results: Results revealed that mean peak heart rate of the workers was significantly different (higher) compared with that of the upper extremity intensive workers (p&lt;0.05). This study showed that most of the working postures were hazardous. The magnitude of risk for musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) was much higher as per REBA compared with OWAS. Most of the workers suffered from pain in the head, neck, shoulder, lower back, and arm region. As per the Borg scale, the rate of perceived exertion was ‘hard and heavy’ among most of the workers (68.57%). Conclusions: Postural stress and cardiac strain beyond the safe limit indicates the heavy nature of the job. Load limit optimization, ergonomic lifting technique, and rescheduled work-rest cycle are essential to reducing physiological and perceived work load.

How the workload impacts on cognitive cooperation: A pilot study.

Cooperation degradation can be seen as one of the main causes of human errors. Poor cooperation could arise from aberrant mental processes, such as mental overload, that negatively affect the user's performance. Using different levels of difficulty in a cooperative task, we combined behavioural, subjective and neurophysiological data with the aim to i) quantify the mental workload under which the crew was operating, ii) evaluate the degree of their cooperation, and iii) assess the impact of the workload demands on the cooperation levels. The combination of such data showed that high workload demand impacted significantly on the performance, workload perception, and degree of cooperation.

Student engagement in academic activities: a social support perspective

Student engagement in academic activities is a critical factor contributing to the overall success of students studying in higher education institutions. Yet the factors influencing student engagement in academic activities are still largely unknown. This study begins to address this knowledge gap by investigating the influence of student connectedness (relationships with peers and teachers), motivation to study (sense of purpose) and perception of workload upon student engagement in academic activities. During 2015, a total of 209 students responded to a survey distributed to first-year undergraduate students enrolled in a university business school in Queensland, Australia. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the proposed relationships. Results suggest that student-student (peer) relationships, teacher-student relationships, and students’ sense of purpose for studying a higher education degree, were central to student engagement in academic activities. In addition, teacher-student relationships, and a strong sense of purpose were central to perceptions of student workloads. Finally, sense of purpose was found to moderate the relationship between both teacher-student and student-student relationships and also, perceptions of workload and student engagement. The findings from this study support the importance of developing effective teacher-student relationships, facilitating positive student-student relationships and communicating a clear sense of purpose to students, so as to improve their engagement in academic activities and optimise perceptions of workloads.

‘You just can’t do it all’: a secondary analysis of nurses' perceptions of teamwork, staffing and workload

The purpose of this study was to re-examine data to explore connections between nurses’ perceptions of teamwork, staffing and workload, focusing on salient aspects and connections, from the nurses’ perspective. Insufficient staffing levels and imbalanced workload distributions are prominent challenges in contemporary healthcare which can cause increased incident reports, medical errors and lower patient satisfaction. Using a novel form of secondary analysis – an original qualitative analysis followed by a quantification of the qualitative data, we found themes of teamwork, staffing and workload were interrelated in the data. When facing workload challenges created by understaffing, participants directly attributed their units’ ability to meet the needs of patient care to levels of teamwork on the unit. We suggest that teamwork in healthcare needs targeted organisational support. In other words, healthcare organisations must systematically approach and monitor the status of nursing teamwork, e.g. implement programmes to develop it as needed, particularly when faced with staffing and workload challenges. Healthcare leaders can learn from and the healthcare delivery workplace can be shaped by listening to teamwork perceptions of nurses.