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.

Cargas de trabalho de profissionais de enfermagem de terapia intensiva neonatal: revisão integrativa

“…Os achados destacam que as CT dos profissionais de enfermagem que atuam em UTIN são elevadas quando comparadas a outros cenários de terapia intensiva. Corroborando com a assertiva, estudo analítico transversal desenvolvido com 214 profissionais da categoria demonstrou que a pontuação média da CT foi significativamente maior em profissionais que trabalham na UTIN do que aqueles que trabalham em UTI adulto e coronariana 18 .…”

Scoping review of systematic reviews of nursing interventions in a neonatal intensive care unit or special care nursery

“…Babies who are admitted to these settings are often born preterm or with low birth weight, have health problems or have a difficult birth (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023). A significant proportion of the staff in ICUs are nurses (Azadi et al., 2020; Lee et al., 2017). Neonatal nurses are fundamental to the provision of safe and effective nursing care.…”

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“…Accordingly, one may refer to children's pain, anxiety, and lack of understanding the need for diagnostic procedures, which in itself cause fear and avoidance of necessary diagnostic and therapeutic procedures [2]. Other reasons for this lack of cooperation include fear of the hospital environment, confrontation with unfamiliar nurses, exposure to diagnostic devices, and separation from parents [3]. Clinicians have always been seeking appropriate sedation methods with the most effectiveness and the least complications for children [4] (Figure 1).…”