Aim To translate the instrument for measuring different types of cognitive load (MDT‐CL) into Chinese and assess the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the MDT‐CL. Background The MDT‐CL is needed for hospital administrators to identify which nursing staff are prone to high cognitive load and to provide tailored interventions for specific types of cognitive load. Methods The MDT‐CL was translated into Chinese using forward and back translation, cultural adaptation and pilot tested. The reliability and validity of the instrument were assessed with intensive care unit (ICU) nurses in three tertiary hospitals in China. Results A total of 222 ICU nurses were recruited. The scale‐content validity index of the Chinese version of the MDT‐CL was 0.966. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that all the goodness‐of‐fit indicators were acceptable. Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.818. Test–retest reliability was 0.785. Conclusions The Chinese version of the MDT‐CL is a valid and reliable instrument for evaluating the cognitive load of ICU nurses in China. Implications for nursing management The validated Chinese version of the MDT‐CL is a feasible, quantitative tool for evaluating different types of cognitive load in busy clinical practice, suggesting significant clinical application value.

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