Determination of nurses' mental workloads using subjective methods

Abstract

Aims and objectives: To adapt the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index scale into Turkish, to determine the nurses' mental workload using subjective methods and to identify the factors affecting the mental workloads of nurses.

Background: As the concept of safety gains prominence in healthcare services, the determination of employees' mental workloads using subjective methods is considered important in preventing errors caused by employees.

Design: Methodological and descriptive design.

Methods: The population of the study consisted of a total of 1900 nurses working at three hospitals and a dentistry faculty hospital affiliated with a public university in Istanbul. The sample of the study consisted of 1266 nurses who agreed to participate in the study (the rate of return was 66·6%). Language and content validity and reliability measurements were performed to adapt the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index into Turkish, which was used as the data collection tool.

Results: It was found that the mean total mental workload score of the nurses was 80·48 (SD 11·76), and the weighted score of mental workload was 83·7. While the highest mean score was obtained on the subscale of mental demand (88·08, SD 16·12), the lowest mean score was obtained on the subscale of frustration (54·52, SD 29·96). The mean total mental workload score of the nurses showed a significant difference according to the units in which the nurses worked.

Conclusion: The mean mental workload scores of nurses working at hospitals within the scope of the study were higher than the results of other studies.

Relevance to clinical practice: It is recommended that nurse managers perform mental workload measurements of nurses and compare the results with the quality indicators observed in units to determine and employ a labour force that is qualified for the profession and that may benefit more effectively from human resources.

Keywords: National Aeronautics and Space Administration-Task Load Index; Turkey; hospital; mental workload; nurses.