Psychosocial and organizational factors affecting occupational well-being in Polish telemedicine nurses: a cross-sectional pilot study

Introduction
The rapid expansion of telemedicine, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has transformed nursing practice. While remote care offers flexibility and reduced physical strain, it introduces stressors such as technostress and professional isolation. Despite nurses’ growing role in telehealth, limited research has explored its impact on occupational well-being in Central and Eastern Europe. Additionally, there is a lack of dedicated tools for assessing nurses’ remote-work experience, making early exploratory work essential for shaping future research and practical guidelines. This pilot study investigated psychosocial and organizational factors associated with job satisfaction and perceived work overload among telemedicine nurses in Poland.

Material and methods
A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 81 registered nurses experienced in telemedicine. A new questionnaire, based on validated tools, assessed job satisfaction, technostress, work–life balance, and digital competence. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman’s correlations, and multiple regression.

Results
Nurses reported high satisfaction with remote flexibility, work–life balance, and patient benefits. However, technostress and social isolation were common challenges. Job satisfaction was positively predicted by perceived patient benefit (b = 0.38), job stability (b = 0.25), and work–life balance (b = 0.35, R2 = 0.59). Work overload correlated positively with technostress (b = 0.39) and isolation (b = 0.31), whereas reduced physical strain had a protective effect by lowering levels of work overload (b = –0.27, R2 = 0.62).

Conclusions
Telemedicine supports nurses’ well-being but introduces specific psychosocial risks. Organizational strategies to reduce technostress and isolation, along with targeted training, are essential. These findings offer initial insight into Polish nurses’ telehealth experience and guide future interventions. As a pilot exploration, the study lays the groundwork for more comprehensive research and the future validation of tools dedicated to evaluating telemedicine-related occupational well-being.