Examination of the psychological changes in nurses due to workload in an intensive care unit: a mixed method study

Turan N., Ançel G.

Contemporary Nurse, cilt.56, sa.2, ss.171-184, 2020 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 56 Sayı: 2
  • Basım Tarihi: 2020
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1080/10376178.2020.1782762
  • Dergi Adı: Contemporary Nurse
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI), Scopus, Academic Search Premier, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, Psycinfo
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.171-184
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: critical care, mental health, nursing, workload
  • Gazi Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

Background: The workload is the impinged stress due to several inter-related factors, including the competence of the intensive care unit nurse. Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate the workload-related psychological changes in intensive care nurses. Methods: The study had a two-phase explanatory mixed method design. Data were collected through in-depth personal interviews and with other instruments. The obtained data were analyzed with SPSS 18.0 and MAXQDA plus10. Results: The workload of intensive care nurses was 315.8 per minute and the mean TISS 28 score was as high as 65.00. The in-depth interviews with intensive care nurses revealed that participants experienced professional stress due to high workload and went through psychological changes. Conclusion: The study findings demonstrate that psychological symptoms seen in intensive care nurses relate to a high workload. Impact Statement: The results of this study can be used by hospital administrators to create a healthy work environment with a moderated workload and optimized shift schedules so that the mental well-being of nurses can be promoted.