Theoretical and political expectations suggest that nurses experience a reduced workload with increased digital maturity of hospital settings. The ongoing digital transformation of hospitals in Germany is a strategic response to address the shortage of nurses. This article investigates how workload differs among nurses working in hospital settings across three distinct stages of digital maturity: 1. Non-digitized workplace, 2. Digitized workplace, 3. Digitized and semi-automated workplace. Using a linear probability model and unique representative data on digital work resources in Germany, the analysis reveals unexpected findings: Nurses working in digitized workplaces experience a higher workload compared to nurses working in non-digitized workplaces. Nurses in digitized and semi-automated settings experience nearly the same workload as nurses in non-digitized workplaces. The effects of digitization and semi-automation on nurses’ workloads in hospitals vary significantly. Conclusively, these findings challenge the assumption that increased digital maturity consistently leads to reduced workload for nurses. Future research should explore the specific effects of different digital technologies and consider potential mediating factors like techno-unreliability.