The physical workload of nursing personnel: association with musculoskeletal discomfort.
Direct care-nursing personnel around the world report high numbers of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. This cross-sectional study examined the association between the performance of high-risk patient-handling tasks and self-reported musculoskeletal discomfort in 113 nursing staff members in a veterans' hospital within the United States. Sixty-two percent of subjects reported a 7-day prevalence of moderately severe musculoskeletal discomfort. There was a significant association between wrist and knee pain and the number of highest-risk patient-handling tasks performed per hour interacting with the load lifted. On units where lifting devices are readily available, musculoskeletal risk may have shifted to the wrist and knee.
Menzel
Nancy N
NN
Department of Health Care Environments and Systems, College of Nursing, University of Florida, P.O. Box 100187, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. nmenzel@nursing.ufl.edu
Brooks
Stuart M
SM
Bernard
Thomas E
TE
Nelson
Audrey
A
D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D005431:Florida / Q000453:epidemiology; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D017770:Lifting / Q000009:adverse effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D015401:Nursing Administration Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010146:Pain / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013996:Time and Motion Studies; D014481:United States; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*