Repositioning a passive patient in bed: Choosing an ergonomically advantageous assistive device.
Repositioning of passive patients in bed creates health risks to the nursing personnel. Therefore, appropriate assistive devices should be used. Our aim was to find the optimal assistive device for reducing musculoskeletal load while moving a passive patient in bed. Torso kinematic inputs evaluated by the Lumbar Motion Monitor (LMM) and perceived load (Borg scale) were measured in female nurses performing 27 patient transfers [represented by a mannequin weighing 55 (12 nurses), 65 (24 nurses) and 75 kg (12 nurses) in bed] using a regular sheet, a sliding sheet and a carrier. The lowest rates of perceived exertion were found when the sliding sheet and/or carrier were used, for all tasks (p ≤ 0.009). According to the predicted risk for Low Back Disorder (LBD) based on the LMM inputs, negligible differences between assistive devices were found. In a 75 kg mannequin, the participants were able to perform all tasks only by using a sliding sheet. Utilizing sliding sheets is an advantageous technique in comparison to traditional cotton sheets and even carriers.
Zeide School of Nursing, Bnai-Zion Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. Electronic address: chava.weiner@b-zion.org.il.
Chava
C
Weiner
Department of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653 Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel.
Leonid
L
Kalichman
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Joseph
J
Ribak
Department of Physical Therapy, Recanati School for Community Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, P.O.B. 653 Beer-Sheva, 84105, Israel; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Deborah
D
Alperovitch-Najenson
D001512:Bedding and Linens; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D003657:Decision Making; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008161:Lumbosacral Region / Q000502:physiology*; D009068:Movement; D055805:Moving and Lifting Patients / Q000295:instrumentation*; D009141:Musculoskeletal System / Q000293:injuries*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital; D016272:Occupational Health; D060051:Occupational Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016474:Weight-Bearing
Low back disorder risk model; Nursing; Repositioning; Sliding sheets; Work related musculoskeletal disorders