Intraoperative Cognitive Load in Anesthesia Nurses Across Anesthetic Phases

The goal of this observational study is to measure the cognitive load (mental effort) of anesthesia nurses during real surgical procedures at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Spain. The main questions it aims to answer are: * Does cognitive load vary across the three phases of anesthetic care (induction, maintenance, and emergence/recovery)? * Is cognitive load higher during general anesthesia than during spinal anesthesia with sedation? * How do surgical specialty and patient complexity relate to cognitive load? * How does monitor alarm perception relate to cognitive load during surgery? Participants (anesthesia nurses) will complete the NASA Task Load Index (NASA-TLX) questionnaire - a validated 6-item tool measuring mental effort - three times per surgical case: after induction or spinal block, during maintenance, and after patient awakening or sedation reversal. They will also answer 4 brief questions about alarm management at the end of each case. No changes are made to clinical care. Participation adds approximately 11 minutes per surgical case.

NCT Number	NCT07568158
Lead Sponsor	Hospital Clinic of Barcelona
Conditions	Alarm Fatigue, Perioperative, Patient Safety, Cognitive Load, Performance, Cognitive Load, Performance
Enrollment	50 participants
Start Date	2026-06-01
Primary Completion	2027-02-28 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-02-28 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-07-13