Assessment of the daily nursing workload in the surgical and medical departments at Latakia University Hospital

Abstract

Nursing represents the largest occupational category in the health sector, with a rate of approximately 59% of health workers. The concept of workload is widely used in the field of nursing, and its analysis gives a clear and real vision and understanding about distributing tasks and assignments on nursing staff. The study aims to assess the daily nursing workload performed by nurses working in the surgical and medical inpatient departments at Latakia University Hospital. Data was collected between January 4, 2024, and November 3, 2024, from all nursing staff in these departments (681 nurses). Four tools were used in the study: Demographic and clinical data tool, direct nursing activities, indirect nursing activities, and supportive activities. The researcher found that the highest level of nursing workload was in department of labor and delivery. The study recommended the need to restructure and distribute the nursing staff in proportion to the workload and assign the implementation of some supportive activities in the department to non-nursing staff in order to alleviate the high levels of nursing workload.