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Nurses’ working tasks and MSDs back symptoms: results from a national survey

Issue title: IEA 2012: 18th World congress on Ergonomics - Designing a sustainable future

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Serranheira, Florentino | Cotrim, Teresa | Rodrigues, Victor | Nunes, Carla | Sousa-Uva, António

Affiliations: National Public Health School, New University of Lisbon, Avenida Padre Cruz, 1600-560 Lisbon, Portugal and CMDT – Malaria and Tropical Diseases Research Center – Public Health, Lisbon, Portugal | Human Kinetic Faculty, Technical University of Lisbon, Estrada da Costa, 1499-002 Cruz Quebrada - Dafundo, Lisbon, Portugal | Nursing College of Vila Real/CIDESD/University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, Lugar do Tojal, Lordelo, 5000-232 Vila Real, Portugal

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: serranheira@ensp.unl.pt

Keywords: nurses, WRMSDs symptoms, epidemiology, ergonomics

DOI: 10.3233/WOR-2012-0479-2449

Journal: Work, vol. 41, no. Supplement 1, pp. 2449-2451, 2012

Published: 2012
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Abstract

Healthcare workers, namely registered nurses (RN), are frequently exposed to work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) risk factors. Identifying the symptoms of these disorders is one of the first epidemiological steps to managing them. This study aims to identify WRMSDs prevalence symptoms in Portuguese RN. During 8 months (2010–2011) the National Public Health School and the Portuguese Registered Nurses Board made a call to all RN to answer an online WRMSDs questionnaire. Respondents (n=2140) are mostly females (77.4%) and work mainly in hospitals (n=1396) and in primary healthcare centers (n=421). Results show high symptoms prevalence (last 12 months) in the lower back (60.6%), the upper back (44.5%), and the neck (48.6%). Nurses’ activity, especially patient hygiene in bed, is a strong contributor (p>0.05) to pain in the upper back (OR=1.39 [1.09–1.80]) and lower back (OR=1.4 [1.08–1.84]). Patient holdup without mechanical support has the highest relationship (p>0.05) between work tasks and symptoms in the last 12 months in the upper back (OR=1.50 [1.19–1.90]). Prevalence rates of WRMSDs symptoms in Portuguese nurses are no different from other studies with Swedish, Italian and Greek nurses. Maybe changes in healthcare systems didn’t change the way care is delivered and we must rethink how to prevent nurses WRMSDs.

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