Productivity versus workloads in the nursing working environment*

Descriptive study with a quantitative approach, conducted with nursing workers. A structured data collection instrument and the Work Limitations Questionnaire were used. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and analytical statistics, with the Kruskal Wallis test and the Spearman rank correlation.

Results

A total of 211 nursing workers participated in the study. They had an average of 6.38% of lost productivity; 75% of nursing technicians showed 9.57% of productivity loss, followed by nurses (8.75%) and nursing aides (8.50%). The units presenting the highest productivity loss were surgical clinic (8.81%), and medical clinic (8.58%). The rate of productivity loss was significantly associated with chemical loads (p=0.044) and with mechanical loads (p=0.041).

Conclusion

Workers presented productivity loss and work limitations associated with workloads, which shows they have difficulty performing the activities in part of the work time.

Nursing, Team; Workload; Burnout, Professional; Presenteeism; Occupational Health

WLQ^* Domains	N	Mean	Sd^†	Q1^‡	Med^§	Q3^\|\|
WLQ* index	209	6.38	5.16	2.65	4.69	8.89
Time management	209	26.83	25.52	6.25	15	40
Physical demand	209	32.46	23.74	12.50	29.17	50
Mental-interpersonal demand	209	20.49	22.71	3.13	13.89	27.95
Output demand	209	22.02	24.23	5	15	30

Variables	n	WLQ Index

		Min.	Max.	Mean	Sd^†	Q1^‡	Med^§	Q3^\|\|
Professional category
Nurses	49	0.80	21.70	6.20	4.53	2.95	4.50	8.75
Nursing technicians	84	0	23.51	6.56	5.12	2.65	4.88	9.57
Nursing aides	76	0	22.59	6.30	5.62	2.27	4.36	8.50
Work sector
Surgical clinic unit	21	1.16	17.84	8.81	5.67	3.89	7.65	14.94
Medical clinic unit	21	1.49	15.89	8.58	4.05	4.99	8.69	11.86
Trauma unit	11	1.72	21.70	7.98	6.68	2.28	7.08	9.11
Pediatrics	14	1.79	23.51	7.82	7.16	2.64	5.03	10.91
Emergency service	24	0	22.22	7.06	6.25	2.40	5.48	10.57
Maternity	16	0	20.40	5.47	5.49	1.89	3.53	7.61
Obstetrics	13	0.90	14.53	5.46	4.76	1.76	3.60	8.41
General intensive care unit	12	0	13.12	5.13	3.79	2.34	4.50	8.16
Neonatal intensive care unit	37	0.24	18.71	4.81	4	2.49	3.81	5.55
Material and sterilization center	6	0.90	10.90	4.24	3.60	1.46	3.43	6.57
Operating room	19	0.18	13.31	3.71	3.07	2.11	2.81	4.90

Variable	WLQ^* Index	Time management	Physical demand	Mental-interpersonal demand	Output demand

	p	p	p	p	p
Professional category	.632	.969	.036^†	.697	.638
Work shift	.287	.111	.491	.800	.502
Work sector	.015^†	.020^†	.006^†	.231	.034^†

WLQ Domains^*	Workloads

	Chemical load (n=205)	Physical load (n=209)	Psychic load (n=208)	Physiological load (n=206)	Mechanical load (n=204)	Biological load (n=208)

	p^†	p^†	p^†	p^†	p^†	p^†
WLQ index	.044^‡	.139	.178	.064	.041^‡	.253
Time management	.124	.134	.022^‡	.034^‡	.010^‡	.339
Physical demand	.845	.044^‡	.965	.192	.252	.902
Mental-interpersonal demand	.034^‡	.540	.175	.106	.281	.244
Output demand	.123	.171	.150	.135	.219	.296

Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Enfermagem Av. Dr. Enéas de Carvalho Aguiar, 419 , 05403-000 São Paulo - SP/ Brasil, Tel./Fax: (55 11) 3061-7553, - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: reeusp@usp.br

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[1] Corresponding author: Deciane Pintanela de Carvalho. Universidade Federal do Rio Grande. Rua General Osório, s/n. CEP 96200-190 – Rio Grande, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. deciane.carvalho@gmail.com