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

Publié le 03 avril 2012 • Catégorie(s) : Troubles musculo-squelettiques • Mot(s) clef(s) : personnel infirmier

Auteur    Florentino Serranheira
Auteur    Teresa Cotrim
Auteur    Victor Rodrigues
Auteur    Carla Nunes
Auteur    António Sousa-Uva
Résumé    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.
Publication    Work (Reading, Mass.)
Volume    41
Numéro    0
Pages    2449-2451
Date    Jan 1, 2012