Ali Reza Yusefi - Department of Public Health, School of Health, Jiroft University of Medical Science, Jiroft, Iran
Parnian Nikmanesh - Department of Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Information, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Shima Bordbar - Department of Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Information, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Mohammad Khammarnia - Health Promotion Research Center, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Zahedan, Iran.
Zahra Kavosi - Department of Health Services Management, School of Management and Medical Information, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.

Background and Purpose: Currently, the high prevalence of COVID-۱۹ and increased workload in hospitals has posed a threat to the physical, mental, and emotional health of nurses. The present study was an attempt to investigate the workload and its relationship with job stress of nurses in COVID-۱۹ reference hospitals in southern Iran. Methods: This descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted in ۲۰۲۱ on ۴۳۱ nurses from COVID-۱۹ reference hospitals in southern Iran. Data collection tools included the NASA workload and OSIPOW job stress standard questionnaires. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient in SPSS۲۳ Software and at a significance level of ۰.۰۵ Results: The mean age and work experience of the nurses participating in the study were ۳۱.۰۳±۵.۲۳ and ۶.۴۲±۴.۶۱, respectively. The mean scores of the workload and job stresses were ۸۳.۶۴ ± ۱۷.۲۴ (of ۱۰۰) and ۲۳۶.۶۸ ± ۱۶.۵۴ (of ۳۰۰), respectively. Mental load dimension (۸۵.۸۱ ±۱۹.۳۱, of ۱۰۰) among workload dimensions and role workload dimension (۴۳.۶۲ ± ۱۹.۱۴, of ۵۰) among job stress dimensions had the highest mean score. Thus, there was found a statistically significant relationship between workload and job stress of nurses (P= ۰.۰۴, r= ۰.۱۹). Conclusion: Workload and job stress of the studied nurses were estimated at a high level. There was a significant positive correlation between these two variables, and increasing workload resulted in an increase in job stress.

Workload, Job Stress, Nurses, COVID-۱۹