Relationship Between Perceived Excessive Workload and Medical Error Tendency Among Intensive Care Nurses

Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between excessive workloads among nurses in intensive care units and their tendencies toward medical errors, as well as the factors influencing this relationship.Materials and Methods: This study is a cross-sectional, descriptive, and correlational study. The study sample consists of nurses (n:105) working in intensive care units at a university teaching and research hospital. The data collection instruments used were a professional and personal information form, the Excessive Workload Scale, and the Medical Errors Tendency Scale in Nursing (METSN). Results: 96.2% of intensive care nurses are women, 61.9% are married, and their average age is 34.42 ± 7.73. 69.5% of the nurses work in Level 3 intensive care units. Intensive care nurses reported that the top three causes of medical errors were long shift duration (88.4%), misunderstanding of physicians’ orders (64.0%), and communication problems within the team (56.5%). The mean score on The Excessive Workload Scale of intensive care nurses was 40.02 ± 7.68, and the mean score on The Medical Error Tendency Scale in Nursing was 231.11 ± 14.98. No correlation was found between the mean scores on The Excessive Workload Scale and the Medical Error Tendency Scale in Nursing (p>0.05).Conclusion: Although nurses’ average excessive workload scores are high, their tendency to make medical errors is low. In this context, it is recommended that the factors associated with medical errors be identified using qualitative research methods.