Research of the Multitasking of Nurses—Relationship between the Nursing Practice Ability, Cognitive Reflectivity, and Self-efficacy—

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between nursing practice ability, cognitive reflectivity, and self-efficacy as factors affecting the sense of difficulty in multitasking.

Method: Using data from 349 nurses, the Mann-Whitney U test and multiple logistic regression were used to analyze fundamental attributes, the sense of difficulty in multitasking, Nursing Excellence Scale in Clinical Practice (NESCP) scores, cognitive reflectivity-impulsivity scale scores, and general self-efficacy scale (GSES) scores.

Results: In the group that did not experience the sense of difficulty in multitasking, NESCP (p < 0.001) and GSES (p < 0.001) scores were higher than those in the group that experienced the sense of difficulty in multitasking, and increased GSES scores (adjusted odds ratio = 0.864, 95% confidence interval: 0.803–0.930) and being male (adjusted odds ratio = 2.975, 95% confidence interval: 1.333–6.639) were factors that reduced the sense of difficulty in multitasking.

Conclusion: Self-efficacy and sex were related to multitasking difficulty. This suggests that conducting educational programs to increase self-efficacy could reduce the sense of difficulty in multitasking.