Adjustment Challenges among Newly Recruited Nurses and Their Impact on Patient Safety and Professional Identity in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Abstract

In healthcare settings, nurse workload has a significant impact on patient safety and care quality, especially in tertiary care hospitals. An excessivea workload may lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and worse patient outcomes. Objectives: To evaluate how the workload of nurses in a tertiary care hospital in Mardan, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, relates to patient safety and treatment quality. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study approach was used. A systematic questionnaire was used to gather information from registered nurses employed in several departments of a tertiary care hospital. Burnout level and care quality were assessed using the Malachi Burnout Inventory (MBI)and the modified quality of care assessment tool. The method of convenience sampling was used. SPSS version 26.0 was used for data analysis, and associations between variables were found using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: A large percentage of nurses had moderate to high workloads, which were strongly linked to higher levels of burnout. Patient safety and care quality were inversely associated with increased workload. Overall, patient outcomes were impacted by nurses who reported a higher level of burnout because they were less productive and more likely to make mistakes. Conclusions: burnout, patient safety, and care quality are all significantly impacted by nurses' workload. Improving healthcare outcomes requires addressing workforce shortages, putting task management ideas into practice, and encouraging supportive work environments.