Workload status and its relationship with job stress in nurses during the COVID-۱۹ pandemic

Background and Purpose: Currently, the high prevalence of COVID-۱۹ and increased workload in hospitals has posed a threat to the physical, mental, and emotional health of nurses. The present study was an attempt to investigate the workload and its relationship with job stress of nurses in COVID-۱۹ reference hospitals in southern Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted in ۲۰۲۱ on ۴۳۱ nurses from COVID-۱۹ reference hospitals in southern Iran. Data collection tools included the NASA workload and OSIPOW job stress standard questionnaires. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS۲۳ Software and at a significance level of ۰.۰۵ Results: The mean age and work experience of the nurses participating in the study were ۳۱.۰۳±۵.۲۳ and ۶.۴۲±۴.۶۱, respectively. The mean scores of the workload and job stresses were ۸۳.۶۴ ± ۱۷.۲۴ (of ۱۰۰) and ۲۳۶.۶۸ ± ۱۶.۵۴ (of ۳۰۰), respectively. Mental load dimension (۸۵.۸۱ ±۱۹.۳۱, of ۱۰۰) among workload dimensions and role workload dimension (۴۳.۶۲ ± ۱۹.۱۴, of ۵۰) among job stress dimensions had the highest mean score. Thus, there was found a statistically significant relationship between workload and job stress of nurses (P= ۰.۰۴, r= ۰.۱۹). Conclusion: Workload and job stress of the studied nurses were estimated at a high level. There was a significant positive correlation between these two variables, and increasing workload resulted in an increase in job stress.

Keywords:

Workload , Job Stress , Nurses , COVID-۱۹