Assessment of Mental and Physical Load Interaction for Health Care Workers using NASA-TLX Method

摘要

Nowadays in Latvia work is getting more intensive and in many cases leads into the increased of total workload that fully applies to workers in health care. This investigation focuses on the interaction between physical and mental load of health care staff which work includes both physical and psycho-emotional risks. The aim of this study was to evaluate the total workload caused by physical and mental load interaction of internists, surgeons, laboratory physicians and nurses (treatment, ward and nurses in surgery). The work heaviness degree was estimated by heart rate monitoring depending on workers physical activity. The rating of perceived exertion (RPE) of individuals depending on their age, physical conditions, subjective view of workload was assessed using Borg rating scale. Interaction of mental and physical load was determined using Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). The reliability of the statistical processing of heart rate monitoring data was calculated using correlating analysis. Investigation showed that internists and laboratory physicians work should be considered as a light work according to average metabolic energy consumption 3.0 ± 1.2 kcal/min. Treatment nurses and nurses in surgery work should be considered as moderate work (4.2 ±1.2 kcal/min), but surgeons and ward nurses work should be considered as hard work (7.0 ± 0.5 kcal/min for males, 6.0 ± 1.5 for females). The highest degree of total workload considering mental and physical load interaction was identified for surgeons (TLX points 80 ± 1) and nurses in surgery (TLX points 82 ± 1) because temporary demands, task performance, effort and frustration are taken into consideration. It was concluded that there is a significant difference in metabolic energy consumption as well as in NASA-TLX rating scale for internists, surgeons, laboratory physicians and nurses. Therefore used methods are appropriate to assess the physical and mental workload interaction and total work heaviness degree and can be used when deciding on necessary rest time and its periodicity.