Description

The Perceived Workload of Nurses Scale (PWNS) is an assessment instrument designed to evaluate nurses’ subjective perceptions of the demands and intensity of their workload.

Assessing perceived workload is particularly important in nursing because workload may be associated with occupational pressure, stress, physical and emotional fatigue, work performance, and the quality of patient care.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PWNS is to assess the extent to which nurses perceive their work as demanding and burdensome.

The scale can provide useful information for identifying factors that contribute to occupational pressure and for developing strategies aimed at reducing stress, improving job satisfaction, and enhancing the quality of nursing care.

Assessment Dimensions

The PWNS examines several aspects of perceived workload, including:

Work Quantity, referring to the volume of duties and responsibilities that nurses are required to manage.

Task Complexity, referring to the level of difficulty and cognitive demands associated with nursing duties.

Time Pressure, referring to the need to complete numerous or demanding tasks within limited periods of time.

Physical Fatigue, reflecting the physical strain associated with work activities.

Emotional Fatigue, referring to the psychological and emotional burden that may result from intensive patient care and the demands of the nursing role.

Scoring

The scale consists of a series of statements rated on a 5-point Likert scale, ranging from:

1 = “Strongly Disagree” to 5 = “Strongly Agree.”

The total score is calculated as the mean of the responses, with higher scores indicating a higher level of perceived workload.

Scores may be used to assess overall workload burden or to compare different professional, clinical, or organizational groups.

Data Analysis and Use

Data obtained from the PWNS can be used to investigate relationships between perceived workload and variables such as occupational stress, burnout, job satisfaction, intention to leave, and quality of care.

Depending on the research design, analyses may include descriptive statistics, group comparisons, correlation analysis, and multivariate statistical methods.

Applications

The PWNS may be used in hospitals, primary healthcare settings, long-term care facilities, and other healthcare organizations.

Its findings can contribute to the evaluation of organizational working conditions, the development of interventions aimed at improving staffing and workload distribution, and the design of policies intended to protect the physical and psychological well-being of nursing staff.

References

Cameron, S. J., Horsburgh, M. E., & Armstrong-Stassen, M. (1994). Job satisfaction, propensity to leave and burnout in RNs and RNAs: A multivariate perspective. Canadian Journal of Nursing Administration, 7(3), 43–64.

Greenglass, E. R., Burke, R. J., & Moore, K. A. (2003). Reactions to increased workload: Effects on professional efficacy of nurses. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 52(4), 580–597.

Aiken, L. H., Clarke, S. P., Sloane, D. M., Sochalski, J., & Silber, J. H. (2002). Hospital nurse staffing and patient mortality, nurse burnout, and job dissatisfaction. JAMA, 288(16), 1987–1993.

Cavanagh, S. J. (1992). Job satisfaction of nursing staff working in hospitals. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 17(6), 704–711.

Schultz, A. A., & Schultz, J. B. (1998). Nursing work environment scale: A standardized measure for research and practice. Journal of Nursing Measurement, 6(1), 5–19.