Evaluation of Mental Workload among ICU Ward's Nurses
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Summary
This cross-sectional study investigated the mental workload of nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) and identified specific performance obstacles contributing to this burden. Motivated by the recognition that excessive workload is a significant stressor that can compromise patient safety and nurse well-being, the researchers aimed to delineate the work system characteristics affecting ICU nursing in Iran, a context previously underexplored in this regard. The study was conducted in 2013 involving 81 nurses from the Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran. Data collection utilized two primary instruments: the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) to assess subjective workload across six dimensions (mental, physical, temporal demand, effort, performance, and frustration), and a customized Performance Obstacles Questionnaire. The latter was developed through semi-structured interviews and validated for relevance and clarity, categorizing obstacles into ten groups such as physical environment, tools, supplies, and communication. Statistical analyses, including Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression, were employed to determine the relationship between demographic variables, performance obstacles, and workload scores. Results indicated that nurses perceived physical demand as the most critical workload dimension (mean=84.17), followed by effort and performance. Demographic factors such as age, job tenure, and education significantly influenced certain workload subscales. The analysis identified 29 of 53 performance obstacles as significantly correlated with workload. Key predictors of total workload included a hectic workplace, difficulty finding seating, disorganized workspaces, poor-conditioned equipment, delays in obtaining medications, and spending excessive time dealing with family needs or seeking supplies. Regression analysis further highlighted that inadequate help from nurse assistants and unpredicted problems were strong predictors of mental and temporal demands. The study concludes that various performance obstacles are strongly correlated with ICU nurses' workload, affirming the critical role of work system characteristics. The findings suggest that interventions targeting these specific obstacles—such as improving equipment availability, organizing supply stocks, and enhancing support from assistants—are necessary to reduce workload and improve patient care quality. The authors recommend future research compare workload across different hospital types and incorporate objective measurement tools to complement subjective assessments.
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| Stage | Outcome | Tool | Model | Prompt | Attempts | Completed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| discover | success | Crossref | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-19 |
| archive | success | unpaywall | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-25 |
| extract | success | cached | — | — | 2 | 2026-06-26 |
| clean | success | clean | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-20 |
| chunk | success | chunk | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-20 |
| embed | success | embed | Qwen/Qwen3-Embedding-8B | — | 1 | 2026-06-20 |
| enrich | success | openalex | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-20 |
| promote | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-19 |
| summarize | success | llm | qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant | summ-v5 | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
| tag | success | vector_similarity | — | — | 6 | 2026-06-20 |
| verify | success | — | — | — | 1 | 2026-06-26 |
Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.
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