title: District nurses' experiences of musculoskeletal wellbeing: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Musculoskeletal disorders significantly contribute to staff sickness and absence in the NHS. District nurses are especially at risk because patient handling tasks are often carried out outside a clinical environment.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore district nurses' lived experience of musculoskeletal wellbeing.
  
  
  METHODS
  An exploratory qualitative study using interpretative phenomenological analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semi-structured interviews with a purposeful sample of seven district nurses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Study participants accepted musculoskeletal pain as part of nursing and reported little time for physical activity, often because of work and family commitments. Participants identified treating patients' leg ulcers as a risk factor for developing MSD, while generic workplace wellbeing initiatives delivered via email failed to engage their interest.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides a useful insight into district nurses' experiences of musculoskeletal wellbeing and represents an important first step in producing recommendations for future research with the aim of developing strategies for improving workplace musculoskeletal wellbeing that would be acceptable to staff.
authors.affiliation: Physiotherapist, Leicestershire Partnership Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Graham
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boniface
authors.affiliation: Honorary Clinical Professor of Community Medicine, School of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, UK.
authors.forename: Sudip
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Honorary Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Medical Sciences Graduate School, Newcastle University, UK.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Robinson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009726:Nurses; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D013222:State Medicine
keywords: NHS; district nurse; interpretative phenomenological analysis; musculoskeletal disorder; occupational health; staff wellbeing