A study on hospital head nurses’ perceived burden of tasks, cumulative fatigue, and prolonged work

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of and relationships between the perceived burden of tasks, cumulative fatigue, and prolonged work among head nurses in hospitals.　We distributed anonymous, self-administered questionnaires to all head nurses working in A prefecture in Japan （N=1,479）.　The response rate was 57%.　Items were related to basic attributes and employment and work characteristics.　The questionnaire included 32 original items related to nursing managers’ tasks, which were evaluated in terms two aspects （i.e., time devoted and degree of difficulty）, as well as a 13-item cumulative fatigue scale.　The results showed that, of the 32 items, the highest score was obtained for the item, “preparing and maintaining staff members’ work schedule for evaluation,” based on evaluation in terms of time devoted and degree of difficulty.　Of the 32 items evaluated in terms of degree of difficulty, one third yielded significant differences according to tenure of experience as a head nurse （>5 years）.　Additionally, approximately half of the participants worked ≥10 hours overtime on a weekly basis, and about 70% took their work home.　Participants who worked long hours showed a significantly higher degree of cumulative fatigue than did those who did not.　Our findings suggest that interventions considering both degrees of task difficulty and work style would improve head nurses’ job performance and health status.