Work Environment and Workload of Staff Nurses in Selected Secondary Hospitals in Cavite, Philippines

Abstract

One of the greatest healthcare challenges for today’s generation is the improvement of nursing work environment. Despite the challenges brought by poor working environment and high workload demand, Filipino nurses stood up high in maintaining professionalism towards their work. This study aims to determine the relationship between work environment and workload of staff nurses in level-2 hospitals at Cavite. Specifically, to identify their level of work environment using the Practice Environment Scale of the Nursing Work Index (PES-NWI), and level of workload using the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). Quantitative non-experimental descriptive correlational design was used, and the standardized questionnaires namely: PES-NWI and NASA TLX were used to gather data from 70 respondents. Results shows majority were female, belong to Millennial age (23-38 years old), had baccalaureate degree in Nursing, have a gross monthly salary of Php 15,000.00-19,999.00, being in the institution for more than 6 months to 5 years, and have an average nurse to patient ratio of 11.30. Their level of work environment was favourable in all subscale with composite score of 3.13 (SD= 0.570). For their perceived workload, they seem to have high workload with an average of 71.24 (SD= 12.78). Likewise, nurse to patient ratio had a significant relationship with nurse manager ability, leadership, and support of nurses (X2= 94.26, p= <.001) and staffing and resource adequacy (X2= 75.06, p= 0.002). Moreover, significant relationships among the variables of age and physical demand (p= .004), length of institutional experience and physical demand (p <0.001), educational attainment and performance (p= .018), educational attainment and effort (p= .005), and length of institutional experience and effort (p= .001).Last, there is no statistically significant correlation between overall work environment and overall workload of nurses (r= -.084, p= .491). These findings underscore the importance of measures aimed at enhancing the work environment and workload of staff nurses to prevent further challenges among them.