Cognitive workload among orthopaedic nurses during the morning rush hours: results from field survey and lab-simulated eye-tracking evaluation

This research sets out to analysis the effect of noise on cognition of nurses in morning shift by simulating eye tracking in laboratory. Background: National health center is planning to further improve the current patient safety management system in the next three years. A policy was made to primarily focusing on the continuous improvement of the system infrastructure by smoothing the working procedures and mechanisms and eliminating all related risk factors in the healthcare delivery system as well as enhancing the overall patient experience during this process. This project is in line with the National Health Commission's plan to keep patients safe by eliminating risk factors in healthcare delivery. Methods: Laboratory simulations were performed using the DG-3 eye tracker, in which blink rate and pupil area were used for cognitive analysis. Physiological indexes of nurses were collected by bracelet equipment. Python and MATLAB language used by researchers to analysis obtained data in lab. Results: Noise generally reduces workers' concentration; White noise in the environment can make workers resistant to complex noises. Conclusion: This study reveals the effect of noise on cognitive load, which has important significance for optimizing nursing operation and improving patient safety. This study has made a major breakthrough in the application of eye tracking technology in the assessment of cognitive load.