<![CDATA[Nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) face substantial physical, cognitive, and emotional demands that may contribute to work-related stress, although evidence on this relationship remains inconsistent. This review aimed to synthesize recent evidence on the association between workload and work-related stress among ICU nurses and identify factors explaining differences in findings. Methods: This review followed PRISMA 2020 and the Population–Exposure–Outcome (PEO) framework. PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Google Scholar were searched for English or Indonesian studies published between 2023 and 2026. Quality was appraised using the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist for analytical cross-sectional studies. Of 45 records identified, eight observational studies were included. Five of eight studies reported significant associations between higher workload and greater work-related stress or burnout. One study identified workload as the most prominent source of stress, whereas another found no significant association. Differences in workload measures, outcomes, staffing, and work environments may explain this variation. Higher workload was frequently associated with work-related stress or burnout among ICU nurses, although findings were not uniform. Because the evidence was observational, causality cannot be established. Workload management should integrate objective monitoring, psychological assessment, adequate staffing, and organizational support.]]>
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