Perceived Workload of Nurses Scale

Abstract

The Perceived Workload of Nurses Scale (PWNS) is a psychological instrument designed to quantify the subjectively perceived workload experienced by nursing staff in clinical settings. The scale differentiates between two primary dimensions of occupational strain: Coordination and Information Problems and Psychophysical Overload. The theoretical foundation of the PWNS is rooted in classic motivation and stress concepts, focusing on how organizational structure and daily demands contribute to perceived stress and subsequent behavioral outcomes.

Keywords

Nursing, Perceived Workload, Occupational Stress, Coordination Problems, Psychophysical Overload, Stress Theory, Psychological Measurement, German

Authors

Bartholomeyczik, Bartholomeyczik, Beckmann, Bernhard (Original 1974); Freigang-Bauer, Kohlmann, Nolte, Siegrist (Revision/Final 1982-1986)

Purpose

The primary purpose of the Perceived Workload of Nurses Scale is to systematically assess the frequency with which nurses encounter specific conflict or demanding situations within their professional environment. By focusing on the frequency of these stressors, the scale provides a quantifiable measure of the chronic strain experienced by healthcare personnel.

The instrument was developed to allow researchers and organizational sociologists to analyze the relationship between hospital organizational structures and the resulting stress levels experienced by nursing staff. The final 12-item version is a concise measure intended for use in comparative and organizational studies.

Construct

The PWNS measures the construct of Arbeitsbelastung (Workload or Occupational Stress). This construct is viewed through a lens derived from motivation and stress theories, particularly those emphasizing the subjective appraisal of demanding situations (e.g., Lazarus’s primary appraisal).

The scale is structured around two oblique factors representing distinct facets of perceived burden:

• Subscale 1: Coordination and Information Problems (7 items): This dimension captures stress arising from organizational deficits, poor communication, unclear responsibilities, and status uncertainty within the working group (e.g., issues with collaboration or lack of necessary information).
• Subscale 2: Psychophysical Overload (5 items): This dimension measures strain related to physical and psychological exhaustion, excessive demands, high responsibility, and emotional strain resulting from patient interactions.

Validity

According to the documentation provided, there are no explicit validation references or indications regarding the overall instrument’s validity (e.g., criterion or construct validity) available for the final 12-item version.

However, the scale’s internal structure was validated through confirmatory Factor Analysis (Study C, Kohlmann et al., 1986), confirming the two-factor structure derived from exploratory analysis (Study B, Freigang-Bauer et al., 1982). This internal structure validation supports the scale’s theoretical grounding in measuring two distinct components of perceived workload.

Reliability

The internal consistency reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha based on a combined sample of N = 298 participants (Studies B and C). The reliability coefficients demonstrated acceptable to good internal consistency across the scales:

• Total Scale: Cronbach’s Alpha = .83
• Subscale “Coordination and Information Problems”: Cronbach’s Alpha = .82
• Subscale “Psychophysical Overload”: Cronbach’s Alpha = .72

Factor Analysis

The scale development involved several stages of Factor Analysis and item reduction. The original version (1974) contained 24 items. Following initial testing (Study A, N=143), 9 items were eliminated due to low frequency or low perceived burden, resulting in a 15-item version.

The revised 15-item version was tested in Study B (N=180). Exploratory Principal Axis Factoring using the KAISER criterion and VARIMAX rotation extracted two interpretable factors. Two items were subsequently removed due to poor item-total correlation and low commonalities, leaving 13 items. The two factors clearly separated: Factor 1 related to cooperation and information problems, and Factor 2 related to physical and psychological overload.

The final refinement occurred in Study C (N=118). A confirmatory Factor Analysis was performed, leading to the exclusion of one additional item. The final 12-item structure confirmed the existence of two oblique factors with acceptable goodness-of-fit indices, solidifying the distinction between Coordination and Information Problems (7 items) and Psychophysical Overload (5 items).

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire measuring frequency of occupational stress factors.

Format: 12 items, utilizing a 5-point frequency rating scale.

Language Available: German (Deutsch).

Population Group: Professional Nurses (Pflegepersonal).

Age Group: Not specified, typically working adults.

Population Details: Samples included nurses from general hospitals, university clinics, and various departments (internal medicine, surgery, gynecology, psychiatry).

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the frequency of specific conflict situations using a 5-stage Likert scale ranging from “nie” (never) to “immer” (always). Scoring involves calculating an unweighted additive index for each of the two subscales. Due to high factor correlation, a total score combining both subscales is also deemed acceptable for analysis.

Keywords

Clinical Workload, Job Strain, Psychometrics, Health Care, Nursing Staff, Organizational Stress, Stress Appraisal

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not available in the source documentation.

Correspondence Address: No author contact addresses are available.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Information regarding specific permissions, copyrights, or fees required for the use of the Perceived Workload of Nurses Scale is not provided in the source documentation. The original conceptualization was published in 1974 (Bartholomeyczik et al.), and the final 12-item revised version was established around 1986 (Kohlmann, Freigang-Bauer and Nolte).

Reference’s

The development of the scale relies on the following key theoretical and empirical works:

• Bartholomeyczik, H., Bartholomeyczik, S., Beckmann, D. & Bernhard, U. (1974). [Original version authors and year].
• Freigang-Bauer, M., Kohlmann, T., Nolte, E., & Siegrist, J. (1982). [Revision authors and year].
• Kohlmann, T., Freigang-Bauer, M. & Nolte, E. (1986). [Confirmatory study authors and year].
• Lazarus, R. S. (1966). Psychological Stress and the Coping Process. McGraw-Hill.
• McGrath, J. E. (1970). Social and Psychological Factors in Stress. Holt, Rinehart & Winston.
• Pearlin, L. I., Menaghan, E. G., Lieberman, M. A., & Mullan, J. T. (1981). The Stress Process. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 22(4), 337-356.
• Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Gruen, R. J., & DeLongis, A. (1986). Appraisal, Coping, Health Status, and Psychological Symptoms. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 50(3), 571-579.

Items of the perceived workload of nurses scale

Instruktion

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Items

1 = Subskala “Koordinations- und Informationsprobleme”

2 = Subskala “Psychophysische Überforderung”

Antwortvorgaben

5-stufige Skala mit den Optionen: nie – selten – manchmal – häufig – immer