The effect of mental workload on occupational accidents among nurses in hospitals of Kerman, Iran

Background and objectives: Nurses due to the nature of their job faced with significant mental workload. This can cause nursing occupational accidents. The aim of this study was to explore the effects of mental workload on occupational accidents in teaching hospital nurses. Methods: This cross-sectional descriptive-analytic study was conducted from May to December 2017 in three teaching hospitals in Kerman (Iran). A total of 350 nurses were selected by random sampling method. Data were gathered by Nursing Occupational Accidents Questionnaire and NASA-TLX Index, and analysed by independent T-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Logistic Regression using SPSS v.18. Results:  In the research mental demand and frustration dimensions had the highest and lowest mean among NASA-TLX Index, respectively. Traumatic low back pain when changing the position or displacement of patients (64%), and Skin contact with blood or other body fluids (62%) were the most common accidents that were most frequent in nurses. Also there was a significant statistical relationship between overall workload and occupational investigated accidents. Conclusion: The high workload is a characteristic of nursing job. Therefore, hospital managers should avoid excessive work pressure by identifying various causes of mental workload factors in their hospital environment and take an important step in controlling this type of accident