Manual Handling Workload and Musculoskeletal Discomfort in Nursing Personnel
01 Jan 2001-
TL;DR: This paper presents a meta-analysis of the literature on screening for Musculoskeletal Disorders and results show that screening for WMSDs in nurses’ high-risk patient care units results is positive.
Abstract: iv Chapter 1: Introduction 1 Scope and Cost of Back Pain 2 Relationship of Musculoskeletal Pain to Workers’ Compensation Claims 3 Association with Strenuous Tasks 3 Chapter 2: Review of the Literature 6 Causes of Musculoskeletal Disorders 6 Body Parts Affected by WMSDs in Nursing 6 WMSD Risk Factors 6 Patient Handling and Movement Risk Factor Assessment 10 Patient Weight As Risk Factor 12 Assessing Risk 12 Exposure Assessment 16 Nursing Workload Measurement Systems 17 Risk Reduction Factors 19 Characteristics of James A. Haley VAMC High-Risk Patient Care Units 19 Screening for Musculoskeletal Disorders 20 Null Hypotheses 22 Definition of Terms 22 Chapter 3: Methods 27 Study Design 27 Sample and Sampling Procedures 27 Data Collection Procedures 28 Chapter 4: Results 30 Sample Size/Power Analysis 30 Data Analysis 30 Sample 30 Data Coding 32 Independent Variables 32
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TL;DR: Measuring the change in current back pain prevalence yields more timely information about the effectiveness of an ergonomic intervention than assessing injury incidence rates, because of the high percent of nursing staff members who work in pain but delay filing workers' compensation claims.
Abstract: 1. The problem of work related musculoskeletal disorders of the low back in nursing personnel has been well documented in the literature by cross sectional studies showing high prevalence rates in licensed nurses and nursing aides. However, it is difficult to compare findings among these studies because of the use of nonstandardized symptom surveys, variations in case definitions, and other methodological inconsistencies. 2. Measuring the change in current back pain prevalence yields more timely information about the effectiveness of an ergonomic intervention than assessing injury incidence rates, because of the high percent of nursing staff members who work in pain but delay filing workers' compensation claims. 3. As employers attempt to reduce manual handling injuries, occupational health nurses may be called upon to survey workers for musculoskeletal symptom prevalence and document the effectiveness of ergonomic interventions. Before using or developing any musculoskeletal disorder symptom survey for workplace surveillance or research, occupational health nurses should determine whether the survey has adequate reliability, validity, responsiveness, and practicality.
76 citations
Cites background from "Manual Handling Workload and Muscul..."
...Forty six studies, including the author's doctoral research (Menzel, 2001), were chosen for further review....
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22 citations
TL;DR: The prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders among nurses was high in the study area and working in mal-positions, working in the same positions for long period of time, working with disoriented patients and bending or twisting back during work were identified associated factors.
Abstract: Background: Musculoskeletal disorders represent a significant occupational problem among nurses; however, there is paucity of information on work related musculoskeletal disorder among nurses in Ethiopia. Objective: To assess work related musculoskeletal disorders and associated factors among nurses working in Jimma Zone Public hospitals, South west Ethiopia. Methods: Institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted in Jimma Zone public hospitals from March 12-27, 2015. Systematic random sampling technique was used to select 333 participants. Data were analyzed by using binary logistic regression and Odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals used to examine associations between dependent and independent variables. Results: The prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders at any body site was 60.8% and the highest report 124 (67.8%) was seen in the lower back which was followed by the neck 44 (24%) and knees 43 (23.6%). Lifting and transferring dependent patients [AOR 2.1 (1.1-4.3)], giving wound care [AOR 4.2 (1.9-8.9)], working in medical ward [AOR 9.6 (2.4-38.3)] and Intensive care unit [AOR 3.4 (1.2-9.7)], working in mal-positions [AOR 9.7 (2.2-42.6)], working in the same positions for long period of time [AOR, 6.1 (1.3-28.7)], working with disoriented patients [AOR 2.6 ( 1.1-5.7) and bending or twisting back during work [AOR 5.1 (1.1-23.7)] were identified associated factors. Conclusion: The prevalence of work related musculoskeletal disorders among nurses was high in the study area. Lifting and transferring dependent patients, giving wound care, working in medical ward and Intensive care unit, working in mal-positions, working in the same positions for long period of time, working with disoriented patients and bending or twisting back during work were identified associated factors.
6 citations
Journal Article•
5 citations
Journal Article•
TL;DR: Age and experience were significantly associated with musculoskeletal symptoms in the different body regions and the results indicated out of every 10 workers, in the last work week, seven reported complaints in the lower legs.
Abstract: Although Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) represents a common occupational problem, few epidemiological studies have investigated MSDs among industrial workers. MSDs are a common industrial health problem throughout the world and a serious cause of disability among the industrial workers.The goal of the study was to investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms (ache, pain, or discomfort) among rubber workers in Iran, using the standard Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ). The study population consisted of 100 males with mean age 31.73. Out of every 10 workers, in the last work week, seven reported complaints in the lower legs. The results are also indicated age and experience were significantly associated with musculoskeletal symptoms in the different body regions.
4 citations
Cites background from "Manual Handling Workload and Muscul..."
...[21]; Nursing personnel [19]; Information Technology professionals [22]; Production assembly workers [23]; Dental students [24]; notebook computer users [25]....
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References
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TL;DR: It was concluded that prevention should be directed to improvements in the occupational work load, particularly for younger nurses.
Abstract: Questionnaires were sent to qualified nurses (QNs) and nursing aides (NAs) to study the prevalence of low-back pain (LBP) and sciatica in relation to age, work-load, free time activities, menstruation, pregnancies and number of children. LBP and sciatica severe enough to make them unfit for daily tasks were significantly more common in NAs. Back injury and disability pension due to sciatic symptoms were also more common in NAs. Occupationally, NAs had twice the amount of lifting, bending, and rotation, while QNs reported more sitting and standing at work. Under the age of 30, the heaviness of the work was related to LBP in both NAs and QNs. It was concluded that prevention should be directed to improvements in the occupational work load, particularly for younger nurses.
252 citations
Additional excerpts
...…al., 1976; Harber et al., 1985; Ferguson, 1970; Greenwood, 1986; Jensen, 1985, 1987; Knibbe & Friele, 1996; Leighton & Reilly, 1995; Love, 1997; Owen 1985, 1989; Smedley, et al., 1997; Stobbe et al., 1988; Stubbs, Rivers, Hudson, & Worringham, 1981; Videman et al., 1984; Williamson et al., 1988)....
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TL;DR: The need for further epidemiological data is emphasized together with ergonomic assessment of the tasks performed throughout the nursing profession to form the foundation for safer systems of work within the National Health Service and, it is hoped, a reduction in the magnitude of the back pain problem.
Abstract: A survey of 3912 nurses suggests that 750,000 working days are lost annually from back pain and that 1 in 6.(159 per-1000 at risk) attributes the onset of pain to a patient-handling incident. Attempts to identify risk areas within nursing using point prevalence data have failed to confirm previous results using historical data (Stubbs et al 1980). Evidence is presented that suggests the conditions being assessed in each case are different. The need for further epidemiological data is emphasized together with ergonomic assessment of the tasks performed throughout the nursing profession. Such an assessment will form the foundation for safer systems of work within the National Health Service and, it is hoped, a reduction in the magnitude of the back pain problem.
232 citations
"Manual Handling Workload and Muscul..." refers background in this paper
...…back pain are the most frequent outcome variables in cohort or cross-sectional studies of nursing personnel (Fuortes, Shi, Zhang, Zwerling, & Schootman, 1994; Harber et al., 1987; Hignett, 1996; Kumar, 1990; Leighton & Reilly, 1995; Smedley et al., 1995; Stobbe et al., 1988; Stubbs et al., 1983)....
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...Other studies (Fuortes et al, 1994; 6 Josephson & Vingard, 1998; Ryden, Molgaard, Bobbitt, & Conway, 1989; Smedley, Egger, Cooper, & Coggon, 1997; Stubbs et al., 1983; Venning, Walter, & Stitt, 1987) have concluded that job-related (not individual) characteristics were the major predictors of back…...
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TL;DR: A laboratory study was conducted in an effort to reduce back stress for nursing personnel while performing the patient handling tasks of transferring the patient from bed to wheelchair and wheelchair to bed using five manual techniques and three hoist-assisted techniques.
Abstract: A laboratory study was conducted in an effort to reduce back stress for nursing personnel while performing the patient handling tasks of transferring the patient from bed to wheelchair and wheelchair to bed. These patient handling tasks were studied using five manual techniques and three hoist-assisted techniques. The manual techniques involved one-person and two-person transfers. One manual technique involved a two-person lift of the patient under the arms; the others used a rocking and pulling action and included the use of assistive devices (a gait belt using a two-person transfer, a walking belt with handles using a one-person and a two-person transfer, and a patient handling sling with cutout areas to allow for a hand grip (Medesign) for a one-person transfer). The three mechanical hoists were Hoyer, Trans-Aid and Ambulift. Six female nursing students with prior patient transfer experience served both as nurses and as passive patients. Static biomechanical evaluation showed that pulling techniques, as compared to lifting the patient, required significantly lower hand forces and produced significantly lower erector spinae and compressive forces at the L5/S1 disc (P greater than or equal to 0.01). Shear force, trunk moments and the percentage of females who were capable of performing the transfers (based on static strength simulation) also favoured pulling methods. Perceived stress ratings for the shoulder, upper back, lower back and whole body were lower for pulling methods than those for lifting the patient (P less than or equal to 0.01). Patients found the pulling techniques, with the exception of when using the gait belt, felt more comfortable and more secure than the lifting method (P less than or equal to 0.01). However, a number of subjects believed that the patient handling sling (Medesign) and the walking belt with one person making the transfer would not work for those patients who could not bear weight and those who were heavy, contracted or combative. A walking belt with two persons was the preferred manual method. Two out of three hoists (Hoyer lift and Trans-Aid) were perceived by the nurses to be as physically stressful as manual methods. Patients found these two hoists to be more uncomfortable and felt less secure than with three of the five manual methods (one- and two-person walking belts and Medesign). Ambulift was found to be the least stressful, the most comfortable, and the most secure among all eight methods. Pulling techniques and hoists took significantly longer amounts of time to make the transfer than manually lifting the patient (P less than or equal to 0.01). The two-person walking belt using a pulling technique and Ambulift are recommended for transferring patients from bed to wheelchair and wheelchair to bed. A large-scale field study is needed to verify these recommendations.
219 citations
"Manual Handling Workload and Muscul..." refers background in this paper
...Tasks that require the caregiver to assume awkward postures (due to a confined environment or difficulty positioning or accessing the patient) are more physically stressful than those that do not (Garg et al., 1991)....
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...This awkward angle and position frequently occurs during bathing and feeding and is exacerbated by sustained stretching and reaching (Damkot, Pope, Lord, & Frymoyer, 1984) or postural stress (Baty & Stubbs 1987, Garg et al., 1991)....
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...However, use of some makes of handling and movement equipment has been found to be almost as stressful as manual lifting (Garg et al., 1991)....
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Book•
01 Jul 1994
TL;DR: Textbook of clinical occupational and environmental medicine, Textbook of Clinical Occupational and Environmental Medicine, کتابخانه مرکزی ایران.
Abstract: Principles and Practice. Core Disciplines. Evaluation and Treatment. Hazards in the Workplace and the Environment.
215 citations
TL;DR: Various individual factors and physical and psychosocial work factors were related to musculoskeletal symptoms in the different body regions and might have far-reaching implications for the way in which effective health programs for prevention should be designed in the hospital setting.
Abstract: The relationship between individual factors, physical and psychosocial exposure at work, and musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck, shoulders, low back, hands, and knees was studied among female nursing personnel working at a Swedish hospital. The personnel had participated in a course in work technique (patient transfer and handling principles). Prior to the course, the subjects had filled in a questionnaire (n = 688). The aim of this cross-sectional study was to elucidate whether different individual and work factors are related to musculoskeletal symptoms in a specific body region. Due to the cross-sectional design, however, causality cannot be discussed. Univariate analyses and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed and yielded similar results. The latter analyses showed that in the present hospital setting, individual factors together with physical and psychosocial work factors were related to symptoms in the neck, low back, and hands; individual factors and psychosocial work factors were related to symptoms in the shoulders; while only individual factors were related to symptoms in the knees. The results of the present study showed that various individual factors and physical and psychosocial work factors were related to musculoskeletal symptoms in the different body regions. Thus, the identification of risk factors might have far-reaching implications for the way in which effective health programs for prevention should be designed in the hospital setting.
213 citations