Abstract:
Background: The heavy workload of hospital nurses is a major problem globally. Nurses
are experiencing higher workloads than ever before due to four main reasons, increased
demand for nurses, inadequate appointment of new nurses, reduced staffing and increased
overtime and reduction in patient length of stay. It is necessary for South Africa to find ways
to reduce nursing workload and improve patient safety particularly in rural areas, to
understand these effects of nursing workload on patient safety, the study was conducted with
professional nurses from selected hospitals in Vhembe district, Limpopo Province.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine and to assess the effects of nurses‘
workloads on patient safety in the selected public hospitals, Vhembe District, Limpopo
Province, South Africa.
Methodology: Quantitative, exploratory descriptive design was adopted. Self-administered
questionnaires were used for data collection from the sampled hospitals in Vhembe district.
Hospitals were sampled based on the statistics of admitted patients in medical and surgical
wards. Target population were professional nurses with at least two years working in the
sampled wards. Ethical considerations were maintained.
Results: There are several important consequences of high nursing workload. Findings
show that a heavy nursing workload adversely affects patient safety. The study also shows
that majority 80 (79.0%) of the respondents were overloaded by nursing responsibilities and
this negatively affects nursing job satisfaction. As many as 55 (54.4%) indicated that such
v
workload contributes to high turnover and the nursing shortage. In addition to the higher
patient acuity, work system factors and expectations also contribute to the nurses‘ workload:
nurses are expected to perform non-professional tasks such as delivering and retrieving food
trays; housekeeping duties; transporting patients; and ordering, coordinating, or performing
ancillary services
Conclusion: Nursing workload is affected by staffing levels and the patients‘ conditions, but
also by the design of the nurses‘ work system. The study showed that a work situation above
the assumed optimal level increases the risk for adverse events and patient mortality.
However, the resources for nursing staff are limited in all public hospitals where the study
focused. Professional nurses, therefore, must use available resources in the most optimal
way. The study also recommended that there should be a creation of the nursing posts and
the filling of all vacant positions in South Africa. Continuity of in-service training to empower
professional nurses on patient safety was emphasised.
