ORIGINAL ARTICLE
BALANCING SHIFTS AND MARRIAGE: THE ASSOCIATION
BETWEEN WORKLOAD AND MARITAL ROLE CONFLICT
AMONG MARRIED FEMALE NURSES
Sherly Argya Putri1.
ARatriana Yuliastuti Endang Kusumiati2 Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana.
Indonesia *Corresponding Author: sherlyargyaputri200@gmail.
ABSTRACT
Female nurses commonly face dual-role demands from shift-based clinical work and family responsibilities, which can heighten marital role conflict and threaten workAefamily balance.
This study examined the association between perceived workload and marital role conflict among married female nurses at PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital.
Temanggung.
Using a quantitative correlational design, data were collected from 90 married female nurses selected through proportionate stratified random sampling.
Workload was measured with the NASA Task Load Index (NASAAe TLX), while marital role conflict was assessed using the WorkAeFamily Conflict Scale developed by Netemeyer et al.
Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive and statistically significant relationship between workload and marital role conflict .
= 0.
p = 0.
, indicating that higher perceived workload is associated with greater conflict in fulfilling marital and family roles.
These findings suggest that workloadAiparticularly in shift-based nursingAimay contribute to strain at home through reduced time, energy depletion, and emotional fatigue.
The study concludes that hospital management should prioritize more proportional workload allocation and fairer shift arrangements, complemented by supportive programs .
, stress management, supervisor support, and workAefamily facilitatio.
to protect nursesAo well-being and family functioning.
Future research should employ longitudinal or mixed-method designs and test potential mediators/moderators such as job resources, social support, marital satisfaction, and coping Keywords: Female nurses.
Marital role conflict.
NASAAeTLX.
WorkAefamily conflict.
Workload
INTRODUCTION
In the past decade, much research has focused on how intensifying healthcare demands reshape nursesAo working conditions and, consequently, their well-being and performance.
Hospitals worldwide face pressures from increasing patient acuity, tighter throughput expectations, and persistent staffing constraintsAiconditions that collectively elevate perceived workload and fatigue.
Landmark evidence shows that heavier nurse workloads .
, higher patient-to-nurse ratio.
are associated with higher nurse burnout and job dissatisfaction, alongside adverse patient outcomes (Aiken et al.
, 2.
More recent synthesis work reinforces the system-level relevance of nurse well-being: a large systematic review and meta-analysis in JAMA Network Open reported that nurse burnout is consistently associated with lower patient safety indicators, lower patient satisfaction, and lower nurse-assessed quality of care across countries and settings (Li et al.
, 2.
These findings underscore that workload is not merely an operational issue but a strategic determinant of quality and safety.
Within nursing, workload is also structurally shaped by shift-based service delivery.
Extended and irregular shifts can amplify physical and mental strain, disrupt recovery, and reduce schedule control.
Multi-country evidence indicates that working Ou12-hour shifts is associated with higher burnout and job dissatisfaction and a stronger intention to leave (DallAoOra et al.
Beyond occupational outcomes, shift work also has implications for family functioning because it reallocates time and energy away from nonwork roles.
A systematic review of shift work and workAefamily conflict concluded that shift workers tend to report higher workAefamily conflict than day workers, with particularly elevated conflict among night-shift patterns and schedules that include weekend work.
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importantly, the review highlights that many studies remain correlational and that causal evidence is still limited (Wyhrmann et al.
, 2.
From a psychosocial standpoint, these pressures are closely connected to workAefamily conflict (WFC), an inter-role conflict that occurs when demands from work and family domains are mutually incompatible.
Classic role theory frames workAefamily conflict as emerging from time-based strain and behavioral incompatibilities that make participation in one domain more difficult because of the other (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1.
In organizational psychology.
WFC has been operationalized as a bidirectional constructAiwork interfering with family (WIF) and family interfering with work (FIW)Aiand measured using validated scales that have become standards in the field (Netemeyer et al.
, 1.
Evidence syntheses demonstrate that WFC is consistently associated with work outcomes .
, job dissatisfaction, burnout, turnover intention.
, family outcomes .
, reduced family satisfactio.
, and general well-being outcomes (Allen et al.
, 2000.
Amstad et al.
, 2.
Meta-analytic findings also clarify that antecedents of WFC are strongly rooted in work demands .
, workload, time pressure, schedule irregularit.
, while resources such as supportive supervision and social support can mitigate conflict (Byron, 2.
For married women in nursing, the implications can be more acute because professional demands intersect with culturally and practically salient domestic expectations .
, household management, childcare, spousal role.
In Indonesian hospital contexts, female nurses frequently carry dual responsibilities as healthcare providers and family caregivers, and shift systems can intensify role strain.
Against this background, the present study focuses on female nurses at RS PKU Muhammadiyah TemanggungAian organizational setting where continuous service provision and rotating schedules may elevate workload and, in turn, increase conflict in marital and family roles.
Despite substantial global evidence on WFC, several issues remain under-resolved when the focus shifts to marital role conflict among female nurses and its linkage with subjective workload.
First, many healthcare studies treat workload as an objective staffing indicator .
, ratios, hour.
, yet nursesAo lived workload is also cognitive and emotionalAishaped by interruptions, complexity, time pressure, and perceived performance demands.
Studies indicate that subjective workload measurement can reveal important task-level burdens that staffing indicators alone may miss (Park et al.
, 2.
Second, while WFC is often examined in relation to burnout and turnover, fewer studies in nursing explicitly connect workload pressures to marital-role outcomes .
, relationship quality, marital satisfaction, marital interaction strai.
, even though family functioning is a major domain affected by WFC (Fellows et al.
, 2.
Third, cross-cultural evidence is still uneven.
Much WFC theory and measurement was developed in Western organizational settings.
therefore, localized evidence remains essential to validate whether established mechanisms operate similarly in specific institutional and cultural contexts, including Indonesian faithbased hospitals and the particular constraints of local shift systems.
Accordingly, a general solution is to test the workloadAemarital role conflict relationship using .
an established, psychologically grounded workload measure that captures mental/temporal/effort demands, and .
a validated WFC instrument that reflects inter-role conflict relevant to marriage and family life.
This approach can provide locally actionable evidence for hospital management .
, shift design, staffing adjustments, supervisory suppor.
, while also contributing to the broader literature by clarifying how subjective workload maps onto marital-role conflict among married female nurses.
Several theoretical and methodological strands provide a concrete pathway for studying this The Job DemandsAeResources (JDAeR) model proposes that job demands .
, workload, time pressur.
are primary drivers of strain outcomes when not adequately balanced by job resources .
supervisor support, autonom.
(Bakker & Demerouti, 2007.
Demerouti et al.
, 2.
Complementary to JDAeR.
Conservation of Resources (COR) theory posits that stress emerges when individuals experience resource loss .
ime, energy, emotional capacit.
or threat of loss.
high workload can deplete these resources, leaving fewer reserves for family roles and marital functioning (Hobfoll, 1.
These frameworks jointly EDUCATIONE: Journal of Education Research and Review | 459
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
predict that higher workloadAiespecially when accompanied by irregular schedulesAishould be associated with higher work-to-family interference and broader marital role conflict.
On the measurement side, research has increasingly used the NASA Task Load Index (NASAAeTLX) to quantify subjective workload across mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, perceived performance, effort, and frustration.
In nursing settings.
NASAAeTLX has demonstrated practical utility and has been applied to ICU workload benchmarking and validity evaluations (Hoonakker et al.
, 2.
More recent work has extended NASAAe TLX to task-level workload assessment in emergency departments, highlighting its ability to capture perceived workload in complex and interruption-heavy environments (Park et al.
, 2.
For marital-role conflict.
Netemeyer et al.
Aos bidirectional WFC/FWC scale remains one of the most widely used validated measures of workAefamily conflict (Netemeyer et al.
, 1.
Further measurement development research has also provided multidimensional WFC instruments .
, time/strain/behavior by directio.
that reinforce the conceptual richness of workAefamily conflict (Carlson et al.
, 2.
Empirically, nursing studies show that work demands and irregular schedules predict work-to-family conflict, and that WFC is linked with lower job and life satisfaction among female nurses (Yildirim & Aycan, 2.
In addition, resources matter: meta-analytic evidence indicates that social support .
rom work or hom.
is negatively associated with workAefamily conflict, suggesting potential organizational levers for mitigation (French et al.
, 2.
Extending from conflict to marital outcomes, a meta-analysis found that workAefamily conflict is negatively associated with couple relationship quality across samples, implying that inter-role conflict has meaningful relational costs (Fellows et al.
, 2.
Moreover, evidence suggests that couple communication can mediate the association between workAefamily conflict and marital satisfaction, highlighting pathways through which work strain translates into relationship strain (Carroll et al.
, 2.
A more focused review of nursing-specific findings strengthens the rationale for this study while clarifying the gap.
First.
WFC is repeatedly linked with negative nurse outcomes.
For example.
WFC among nurses has been associated with burnout and related stress outcomes in cross-sectional pandemic-era samples (Yarifard et al.
, 2.
Similarly, a study in Tehran reported meaningful relationships between nursesAo workAefamily conflict and professional quality of life indicators, further underscoring that conflict is consequential in hospital contexts (Dilmaghani et al.
, 2.
Second.
WFC is not only a well-being variable but also connects to performance and retention: evidence indicates that WFC relates to nursesAo job performance, and social support can moderate this relationship (Wang & Tsai, 2.
At the workforce level, a meta-analytic review found a reliable relationship between nursesAo workAefamily conflict and turnover intention, suggesting that conflict can contribute to retention risk (Yildiz & Yildiz, 2.
However, two limitations are especially salient for the present topic.
Workload operationalization gap:
Many studies infer workload from hours, staffing ratios, or broad Aujob demandsAy indices, whereas fewer integrate validated subjective workload instruments .
NASAAeTLX) together with WFC in a single model focused on married female nurses.
While NASAAeTLX has been used to benchmark and validate nursing workload .
ICU setting.
, its integration with marital-role conflict outcomes remains uncommon, especially in Indonesian hospital samples (Hoonakker et al.
, 2.
Contextual gap:
Evidence on workloadAeWFC links among nurses exists internationally .
Turke.
, but localized studies in Indonesian hospital contextsAiparticularly in specific institutions with distinctive organizational cultures and shift routinesAiare still limited, and the generalizability of findings across contexts cannot be assumed (Yildirim & Aycan, 2.
Therefore, the research gap can be stated as follows: There is insufficient context-specific empirical evidence in Indonesia that tests the association between nursesAo subjective workload .
aptured through a validated workload framewor.
and marital role conflict/workAefamily conflict .
aptured through a validated bidirectional WFC scal.
among married female nurses working in a shift-based hospital system.
Addressing this gap is important because hospital workload policies .
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
shift rotation, task allocation, supervisor suppor.
are modifiable, and relational outcomes .
arital role conflic.
matter for both staff well-being and organizational sustainability.
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between workload and marital role conflict .
perationalized through workAefamily conflic.
among married female nurses at RS PKU Muhammadiyah Temanggung.
Specifically, the study assesses whether higher perceived workload is associated with higher levels of marital role conflict experienced by nurses.
This study contributes novelty in three ways.
First, it emphasizes subjective workload as experienced by nursesAicapturing mental, temporal, effort, and frustration-related demandsAirather than relying solely on objective proxies (Hoonakker et al.
, 2011.
Park et al.
, 2.
Second, it extends the nursing workload literature by focusing on a marital-role outcome domain, aligning with evidence that workAefamily conflict degrades couple relationship quality and marital satisfaction (Fellows et al.
, 2.
Third, it provides institution-specific evidence from an Indonesian hospital setting, adding to the cross-cultural validation of WFC mechanisms that have been largely developed and tested outside Indonesia (Yildirim & Aycan, 2.
Guided by role theory and supported by JDAeR and COR perspectives, higher workload is expected to deplete time and energy resources, thereby increasing work-to-family interference and marital role conflict (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985.
Hobfoll.
Demerouti et al.
, 2.
Therefore, the study hypothesizes: Higher perceived workload among married female nurses is positively associated with higher marital role conflict/workAefamily conflict.
The study is delimited to married female nurses working at RS PKU Muhammadiyah Temanggung and uses a quantitative correlational design.
Findings are intended to inform workload management and shift system improvements at the organizational level.
however, because the design is cross-sectional and relies on selfreport measures, causal claims are not made, and unmeasured variables .
, spouse support, childcare load, leadership styl.
may also influence the observed relationship.
METHOD
Research Design and Approach This study employed a quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design to examine the association between workload (X) and marital role conflict / workAefamily conflict (Y) among married female nurses.
A correlational approach was selected because the research objective was to estimate the direction and strength of the relationship between naturally occurring variables without manipulating working conditions or family circumstances.
The conceptual basis for the outcome construct follows classic workAefamily conflict theory, which frames conflict as an inter-role incompatibility between work and family demands (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1.
Population and Sample / Participants The population comprised all married female nurses employed at PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital Temanggung (Temanggung.
Central Java.
Indonesi.
during the 2025 data-collection period.
The inclusion criteria were: .
female, .
legally married, .
working as a nurse at the hospital, .
minimum tenure of Ou 1 year, and .
working under a shift system .
orning/afternoon/nigh.
Nurses on extended leave or not available during the survey window were not included.
A total of 90 participants were selected using proportionate stratified random sampling.
Stratification was applied to ensure proportional representation across relevant strata .
, unit/ward and/or shift categor.
, followed by random selection within each stratum.
This procedure was chosen to improve representativeness and reduce sampling bias when the nursing workforce is distributed across operational groups with potentially different workload exposures.
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Data Collection Techniques and Instruments The data used for this study were collected by administering a self-report questionnaire pack consisting of: .
a workload instrument based on the NASA Task Load Index (NASAAeTLX) framework and .
the WorkAeFamily Conflict Scale.
Questionnaires were distributed in coordination with unit coordinators and scheduled to minimize disruption to clinical duties.
Participants completed the survey voluntarily after receiving a brief explanation of the study purpose and confidentiality protections.
Instrument 1: Workload (NASAAeTLX-base.
Workload was measured using an instrument grounded in the NASAAeTLX workload model, which conceptualizes perceived workload across six dimensions:
mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration (Hart & Staveland, 1.
In practice, the study computed a total workload score by aggregating dimension ratings to reflect overall perceived workload, consistent with the NASAAeTLX emphasis on multidimensional subjective workload assessment (Hart & Staveland, 1.
Instrument 2: Marital Role Conflict / WorkAeFamily Conflict (Netemeyer et al.
, 1.
Marital role conflict was operationalized as workAefamily conflict, measured using the 10-item WorkAeFamily Conflict Scale developed by Netemeyer.
Boles, and McMurrian .
, consisting of two 5-item subscales: Workto-Family Conflict (WFC): work demands interfering with family roles.
Family-to-Work Conflict (FWC):
family demands interfering with work roles (Netemeyer et al.
, 1.
Responses were captured on a Likerttype agreement scale, and subscale scores were computed as mean scores .
igher values indicating higher conflic.
, with an optional total index derived from the average of WFC and FWC when needed for a single overall indicator.
Table 1.
Operational definition of variables and measurement Variable Operational Instrument / Dimensions Items Definition Source Workload Perceived NASAAe MD.
PD, 6
(X)
TLX
TD,
OP, dimensions physical, and framework EF.
time pressure (Hart effort.
Staveland, appraisal, and nursing tasks Marital Inter-role WorkAe WFC.
FWC 10 .
conflict where Family conflict / work and Conflict WorkAe Scale Family are (Netemeyer Conflict et al.
, 1.
(Y)
bidirectionally basis (Greenhaus Response Format Numeric/scale .
Likert Scoring Total .
igher Mean WFC and mean FWC.
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Variable Operational Definition Instrument / Dimensions Source & Beutell.
Items Response Format Scoring Data Analysis Procedures Data were entered and analyzed using IBM SPSS (Version 24/.
The analysis proceeded in the following sequence: Data screening and preparation.
The dataset was screened for completeness, entry errors, and implausible values.
Descriptive summaries were produced for demographic characteristics .
age group, tenure categor.
and for each study variable .
eans, standard deviations, and range.
Assumption checks.
Prior to inferential testing, assumptions relevant to Pearson correlation were evaluated:
Normality of variables .
nd/or residual.
was assessed using KolmogorovAeSmirnov tests and distributional Linearity between workload and marital role conflict was evaluated using linearity tests .
ANOVA-based deviation-from-linearit.
and scatterplot inspection.
These steps were conducted to justify the use of parametric correlation testing.
Primary hypothesis test .
orrelational analysi.
The main hypothesis was tested using Pearson productAemoment correlation to estimate the association between workload .
otal workload scor.
and marital role conflict .
verall conflict score and/or WFC/FWC indice.
Statistical significance was evaluated at = .
wo-taile.
The effect size was interpreted using the magnitude of r .
irection and strengt.
Validity.
Reliability, and Ethical Considerations Construct validity .
heoretical groundin.
: The outcome construct is grounded in workAefamily conflict theory describing incompatible role pressures between work and family domains (Greenhaus & Beutell.
Instrument validity: The Netemeyer et al.
scale is a widely used, validated measure designed explicitly to capture WFC and FWC as distinct but related constructs (Netemeyer et al.
, 1.
Workload construct coverage: The NASAAeTLX framework supports workload measurement as multidimensional .
ental, physical, temporal, performance, effort, frustratio.
, strengthening content coverage for perceived workload in complex task environments such as healthcare (Hart & Staveland, 1.
Internal consistency reliability .
ecommended practic.
: Internal consistency .
CronbachAos alph.
can be estimated for multi-item subscales (WFC and FWC, and any multi-item workload operationalization use.
within the study sample to confirm acceptable reliability for the present context.
Ethical considerations The study followed standard ethical principles for research with human participants.
Data collection was conducted after obtaining formal permission from the hospital management.
Participation was voluntary with informed consent, and respondents were informed that they could withdraw at any time without To protect confidentiality, questionnaires were anonymized .
o personally identifying information was recorde.
, and results were reported only in aggregate form.
Data files were stored securely and used solely for academic purposes.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The findings of this study clearly show that married female nurses at PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital Temanggung experienced moderate-to-high perceived workload and moderate marital role conflict, with a positive and statistically significant association between the two constructs.
The respondent distribution indicates that most participants were in their prime working and family-demand years.
The largest age group was 31Ae40 years .
78%), followed by 41Ae50 years .
44%), then 21Ae30 years .
44%), and a EDUCATIONE: Journal of Education Research and Review | 463
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
small proportion in 51Ae60 years .
33%).
Tenure was also substantial: 11Ae20 years .
44%) and 21Ae30 years .
67%) were the most represented categories.
This composition matters analytically because midcareer nurses frequently face peak job responsibility, continued shift exposure, and intensified family obligations, all of which are well-established antecedents of workAefamily conflict through time- and strainbased mechanisms (Frone et al.
, 1992.
Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985.
Yildirim & Aycan, 2.
Workload (NASAAeTLX) levels Workload was assessed with NASAAeTLX .
Ae.
The overall workload score was M = 69.
98, which falls in the moderateAehigh range.
Dimension-level results show that the workload profile was dominated by cognitive/time-pressure demands and high exertion:
Table 2.
NASAAeTLX workload profile (N = .
Dimension Mean Category Mental demand High Physical demand ModerateAeHigh Temporal demand High Performance .
elf-rate.
Moderate Effort High Frustration Moderate Interpretation cue High cognitive load, vigilance, decision pressure Sustained physical effort and task pacing Time pressure, speed requirements, rapid turnover Perceived adequacy with room for improvement High total energy investment Manageable but nontrivial stress/irritation This pattern is consistent with the nature of nursing work: nurses must maintain continuous attention, triage priorities rapidly, and execute tasks under rigid time constraints and patient-safety accountability.
Prior evidence indicates NASAAeTLX is widely used and psychometrically useful for capturing perceived mental workload in clinical settings, including nursing samples (Hart & Staveland, 1988.
Hoonakker et al.
Marital role conflict (WorkAeFamily Conflic.
levels Marital role conflict in this thesis is operationalized as workAefamily conflict (WFC) and familyAework conflict (FWC) using the Netemeyer et al.
Ae5 Liker.
Results indicate an overall moderate level of conflict, with WFC higher than FWC:
Table 3.
WorkAefamily conflict profile (N = .
Dimension WorkAeFamily Conflict (WFC) FamilyAeWork Conflict (FWC) Total .
ean of WFC & FWC) Mean Category Moderate LowAeModerate Moderate The directionality pattern (WFC > FWC) means that work demands more frequently interfered with family/marital responsibilities than family interfered with work.
This is theoretically coherent: in shiftbased healthcare, work schedules are often non-negotiable, and clinical accountability norms can make it harder for nurses to Aulet family interrupt work,Ay whereas work demands can readily displace family time and energy (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985.
Netemeyer et al.
, 1.
This bidirectional framing is also consistent with broader multidimensional measurement work in the workAefamily field (Carlson et al.
, 2.
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Assumption checks Before testing the primary hypothesis, basic assumptions relevant to linear association were checked:
Normality (KolmogorovAeSmirno.
: Asymp.
Sig.
= 0.
129 (> 0.
, indicating residuals were approximately normal for parametric correlation inference.
Linearity (ANOVA test of linearit.
: Linearity Sig.
= 0.
002 (<
and Deviation from Linearity Sig.
= 0.
218 (> 0.
, indicating a statistically reliable linear component and no evidence of meaningful nonlinearity.
These results support interpreting PearsonAos r as an appropriate summary of association in this dataset.
Hypothesis test (Pearson correlatio.
The core inferential finding is a positive and significant correlation between workload and marital role Table 4.
Association between workload and marital role conflict (N = .
Relationship 95% CI for r (Fisher .
Workload (NASAAeTLX) Ii Total conflict 003 .
111, 0.
(WFC/FWC)
Variance explained .
A) 0967 .
Thus, higher perceived workload was associated with higher marital role conflict, with an effect size in the small-to-moderate range and a confidence interval that excludes zero.
In practical terms, workload accounted for about 9.
67% of the variance in marital role conflictAimeaning workload matters, but it is not the only driver, which is consistent with meta-analytic evidence that workAefamily conflict is shaped by multiple work, family, and individual antecedents (Byron, 2005.
Michel et al.
, 2.
Convergence with foundational workAefamily conflict theory The positive workloadAeconflict relationship aligns strongly with the classic workAefamily conflict formulation that conflict arises when time, strain, or behavior from one role makes participation in the other role more difficult (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1.
High NASAAeTLX scoresAiespecially temporal demand .
and effort .
Aimap directly onto time-based and strain-based conflict pathways.
Likewise, the bidirectional operationalization (WFC/FWC) is consistent with the dominant measurement tradition in workAefamily research (Carlson et al.
, 2000.
Netemeyer et al.
, 1.
, and the present pattern (WFC higher than FWC) is consistent with meta-analytic conclusions that work-domain variables tend to relate more strongly to work-to-family interference than family-domain variables relate to family-to-work interference (Byron, 2005.
Michel et al.
, 2.
Consistency with JDAeR and COR explanations The results are also compatible with two dominant explanatory frameworks: Job DemandsAeResources (JDAeR) model: High job demands .
orkload, time pressure, emotional labo.
elevate strain and exhaustion, especially when job resources .
ontrol, staffing adequacy, supervisor suppor.
are insufficient.
Under JDAe R logic, workload increases the probability that work will AuspillAy into family life through fatigue and reduced recovery capacity (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007.
Demerouti et al.
, 2.
Conservation of Resources (COR) theory: Workload threatens and consumes valued resources .
ime, energy, emotional capacit.
When resources are depleted, individuals have less capacity to invest in family roles, increasing conflict and distress (Hobfoll, 1.
Related COR-based modeling in the workAefamily domain similarly emphasizes that chronic demands can translate into cross-domain strain and downstream distress (Grandey & Cropanzano, 1.
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Alignment with nurse-specific empirical studies Empirically, the findings match nursing research showing that work overload and irregular schedules are key predictors of work-to-family conflict.
For example.
Yildirim and Aycan .
found that work demands and scheduling characteristics significantly predicted WFC among nurses.
The present findings also align with evidence that shift work is systematically associated with higher workAefamily conflict: a systematic review concluded that shift workers generally report higher WFC than workers with regular day schedules, with night and weekend characteristics often showing elevated risk (Wyhrmann et al.
, 2.
Similarly, applied ergonomics research comparing healthcare workers across schedule types reported meaningful differences in workAefamily interface outcomes by working schedules and psychosocial resources (Mauno et al.
, 2.
Consistency with research on downstream consequences Although this study did not test burnout, performance, or turnover directly, its results are consistent with established pathways in which elevated demands and WFC relate to adverse outcomes across work and nonwork domains.
Foundational synthesis work shows widespread consequences of work-to-family conflict (Allen et al.
, 2.
, and meta-analytic evidence indicates that WFC is reliably related to outcomes across domains (Amstad et al.
, 2.
In nurse-focused evidence.
WFC is associated with burnout-related processes and distress pathways (Han & Kwak, 2022.
Yuan et al.
, 2.
and shows a positive relationship with turnover intention in nursing samples (Yildiz et al.
, 2.
Importance of Findings The data show a coherent pattern: Workload is elevated (NASAAeTLX total OO 70/.
, with the heaviest pressures in mental demand, temporal demand, and effort.
This suggests that perceived workload is not only physical but strongly cognitive/time-basedAiconditions that are especially prone to work-to-family interference because mental fatigue can persist beyond the shift and reduce the quality of family interactions (Hoonakker et al.
, 2011.
Yildirim & Aycan, 2.
WFC exceeds FWC.
This directional asymmetry indicates that for these nurses, the work role more frequently disrupts marital/family role functioning than the reverse, which is consistent with theory and measurement traditions emphasizing directionality of interference (Carlson et al.
, 2000.
Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985.
Netemeyer et al.
, 1.
The association between workload and conflict is positive and reliable.
The 95% CI suggests the relationship is unlikely to be trivial in the population .
11 to 0.
While 9.
67% explained variance is moderate, it is practically meaningful in occupational health contexts where even small-to-moderate effects can translate into large system-level consequences when many workers are exposed (Allen et al.
, 2000.
Amstad et al.
The results support H1 and reject H0: there is a significant positive relationship between workload and marital role conflict.
The direction aligns with theoretical expectations: higher workload increases the probability of time and strain spillover into the marital/family domain (Frone et al.
, 1992.
Greenhaus & Beutell, 1.
Because the design is correlational and cross-sectional, several alternative explanations remain plausible:
Reverse directionality: Nurses experiencing marital strain/conflict may report higher perceived workload because psychological distress can amplify threat appraisal, increase fatigue, and reduce perceived controlAiraising NASAAeTLX ratings even if objective workload is unchanged (Grandey & Cropanzano.
Hobfoll, 1.
Third-variable confounding: Unmeasured variablesAisuch as sleep disturbance, staffing adequacy, supervisor support, number/age of children, or commuting timeAicould influence both workload perceptions and workAefamily conflict.
Evidence indicates sleep disturbance is meaningfully intertwined with WFC and burnout-related outcomes in nurses (Han & Kwak, 2.
Common-method bias: Both main constructs were measured via self-report in a single survey period.
This can inflate associations through shared response tendencies .
, negative affectivit.
While the effect size here is not EDUCATIONE: Journal of Education Research and Review | 466
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so large as to strongly suggest severe inflation, the possibility should still be acknowledged (Michel et al.
This study contributes to workAefamily and nursing literature in three main ways: Contextual evidence from Indonesian hospital nursing: Adding evidence from an Indonesian hospital context extends the crosscontext testing of WFC frameworks that have been heavily developed in other settings (Allen et al.
, 2000.
Amstad et al.
, 2.
Workload conceptualization beyond hours worked: By using NASAAeTLX, the study emphasizes workload as perceived cognitive/temporal/effort demand, not only objective overtime or patient This is theoretically valuable because WFC is driven by perceived time scarcity and strain, which NASAAeTLX captures directly (Hart & Staveland, 1988.
Hoonakker et al.
, 2.
Directional profile (WFC > FWC) with moderate effect size: The pattern aligns with meta-analytic expectations that work factors relate more strongly to WFC than family factors do, reinforcing the idea that interventions should not be limited to individual coping but should also target work design (Byron, 2005.
Michel et al.
, 2.
Practical and policy implications Even with a modest association, the results justify action because nurses are a safety-critical workforce.
Several implications follow: Workload management and staffing adequacy.
Hospital management should treat workload as a system variable.
Evidence in nursing links shift characteristics and work design to burnout and well-being outcomes, suggesting that staffing adequacy and workload distribution matter for sustainable performance (DallAoOra et al.
, 2023.
Demerouti et al.
, 2.
Shift design and schedule Because temporal demand is high, interventions targeting scheduling can directly reduce time-based WFC: limiting consecutive night shifts, ensuring predictable rosters, protecting off-duty recovery windows, and minimizing last-minute shift changes.
Evidence links long and unfavorable shift patterns with burnout and dissatisfaction outcomes (DallAoOra et al.
, 2015.
Wyhrmann et al.
, 2.
Familysupportive supervision and workAefamily resources.
Supervisor behaviors can function as job resources that buffer demandAestrain spillover.
Family Supportive Supervisor Behaviors (FSSB) are a validated construct (Hammer et al.
, 2.
, and meta-analytic evidence indicates that workAefamily-specific supervisory and organizational support is strongly related to lower workAefamily conflict (French et al.
, 2018.
Kossek et al.
Integrated occupational health: sleep and recovery.
Given evidence connecting WFC, sleep disturbance, and burnout in nurses, fatigue-risk management should be integrated with workAefamily support .
, rest breaks, protected handover time, recovery education, screening for chronic sleep disruptio.
(Han & Kwak, 2.
Marital/family support programming.
Because the outcome is marital role conflict, hospitals can ethically support nurses via counseling access (EAP-style service.
, couple/family communication workshops, and referral pathwaysAiespecially for shift workers in peak family-demand life stages (Allen et al.
, 2.
CONCLUSION
This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceived workload and marital role conflict among married female nurses working at PKU Muhammadiyah Hospital Temanggung.
The key findings indicate a positive and statistically significant association between workload and marital role conflict .
= 311, p = 0.
, suggesting that higher workload is linked to greater conflict.
descriptively, nurses reported moderateAehigh workload (NASA-TLX M = 69.
and moderate overall marital role conflict (M = 2.
, with work-to-family conflict (WFC M = 2.
higher than family-to-work conflict (FWC M = The study contributes to theory by reinforcing classic workAefamily conflict perspectives and the job demands framework in a nursing context, and contributes to practice/policy by providing empirical support for hospital management to optimize staffing, redistribute tasks, and implement fairer shift rotation and workAelife support .
, stress management, supervisor support, and family-friendly schedulin.
to reduce spillover into family life.
Future research is recommended to use longitudinal or mixed-method designs and EDUCATIONE: Journal of Education Research and Review | 467
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
test mediators/moderators .
, job resources, organizational support, perceived stress, coping strategies, marital satisfaction, childcare demand.
to clarify mechanisms and identify the most effective intervention REFERENCES