The association between workload and job stress among nurses in Vasei hospital, Sabzevar city, Iran, in 2016

Background: Occupations that deal with the health and safety of people are always stressful. Job stress and work load are factors that affect staff such as nurses. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between workload and job stress in nurses of Vasei Hospital, Sabzevar City, Iran, in 2016. Materials and Methods: This cross- sectional study was conducted on 80 nurses of Vasei Hospital, Sabzevar City based on a probabilistic sampling method. The amount of workload was determined by NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) questionnaire having six dimensions, and job stress was evaluated using Steinmetz questionnaire. Data were analyzed by descriptive tests, analysis of variance and Pearson correlation. Results: The mean values for work load and job stress were 71.69 ± 10.49 and 41.60 ± 10.26, respectively. 83.8% of the subjects had high work load (> 60) and 52.5% of the subjects had moderate stress levels (30-70). The highest mean among six dimensions of workload was related to physical labor (78.00 ± 19.97), and the lowest mean was related to frustration (54.75 ± 20.70). Conclusion: The results did not show a significant association between workload and job stress in the nurses of Vasei Hospital, Sabzevar City. However, the mean work load was high for most people. This situation can be improved by increasing the ability and accountability of nurses through training courses on controlling labor pressure.