title: Evaluation of Mental Workload among ICU Ward's Nurses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High level of workload has been identified among stressors of nurses in intensive care units (ICUs). The present study investigated nursing workload and identified its influencing perfor-mance obstacles in ICUs.
  
  
  METHODS
  This cross-sectional study was conducted, in 2013, on 81 nurses working in ICUs in Imam Khomeini Hospital in Tehran, Iran. NASA-TLX was applied for assessment of workload. Moreover, ICUs Performance Obstacles Questionnaire was used to identify performance obstacles associated with ICU nursing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Physical demand (mean=84.17) was perceived as the most important dimensions of workload by nurses. The most critical performance obstacles affecting workload included: difficulty in finding a place to sit down, hectic workplace, disorganized workplace, poor-conditioned equipment, waiting for using a piece of equipment, spending much time seeking for supplies in the central stock, poor quality of medical materials, delay in getting medications, unpredicted problems, disorganized central stock, outpatient surgery, spending much time dealing with family needs, late, inadequate, and useless help from nurse assistants, and ineffective morning rounds (P-value<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Various performance obstacles are correlated with nurses' workload, affirms the significance of nursing work system characteristics. Interventions are recommended based on the results of this study in the work settings of nurses in ICUs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohsen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Adel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazloumi
authors.affiliation: Department of Occupational Health Engineering, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zeinab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kazemi
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Hojat
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zeraati
keywords: Intensive care units; Mental workload; NASA-TLX; Nurses; Performance obstacles