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Professional Development and Education
One-Hour Concurrent Session

The Bull in the China Shop: Workload Theory in the Multidisciplinary ICU

Sunday, February 23, 2025
4:30pm – 5:30pm Eastern Time
Location: W315
CE: 1

This session will delve into the application of cognitive load theory (CLT) in the ICU, including its impact on multidisciplinary rounding, pharmacy performance, nursing culture, and burnout. CLT is a well-established framework from cognitive psychology that helps measure and improve ICU workload and performance. CLT posits that humans possess limited short-term working memory to process novel information and make decisions. When cognitive load exceeds working memory capacity, learning and performance degrade. CLT has the potential to enhance both patient care and clinician well-being. Speakers will highlight the intersection of CLT and health equity, focusing on the multidisciplinary nature of the ICU team. Attendees will learn strategies for optimizing workload, both at the individual and ICU system level.

Learning Objectives:

  • Define cognitive load theory and the importance of optimizing workload in the ICU
  • List strategies to mitigate extraneous cognitive load during ICU rounds
  • Describe how nursing workload can affect ICU team dynamics and patient care
  • Recognize how the use of clinician-designed dashboards can optimize pharmacy workload

Presentations:

  • 4:35pm – 4:45pm Eastern Time
    Using Cognitive Load Theory to Measure Workload and Impact on Burnout

    Ankita Agarwal, MD, MSc (she/her/hers) – Emory University School of Medicine

  • 4:45pm – 4:55pm Eastern Time
    Cognitive Overload During ICU Multidisciplinary Rounds

    Natalie Held – University of Colorado

  • 4:55pm – 5:05pm Eastern Time
    Nursing Workload and Its Impact on ICU Culture and Performance

    Ruth Kleinpell, PhD, RN, MCCM – Vanderbilt University School of Nursing

  • 5:05pm – 5:15pm Eastern Time
    Meaningful Metrics for Critical Care Pharmacists: A Focus on Workload

    Andrea Sikora, BCCCP, PharmD, FCCM – University of Colorado School of Medicine