Ergonomic risk factors and risk exposure level of nursing tasks: association with work-related musculoskeletal disorders in nurses

Abstract

Objectives

To identify the risk exposure level of nursing tasks and explore the association with ergonomic factors such as biomechanical, organisational, psychosocial, and environmental job factors. Also, the association among the risk exposure level of nursing tasks among nurses with the prevalence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs), activity limitation, and physician visits for the past 12 months were analysed.

Methods

In phase one, 68 registered nurses (median age: 33.5 years, females: 89.70%, males: 10.20%) completed the standardised Nordic musculoskeletal questionnaire (NMQ) and ErgoEnf questionnaire on ergonomic risk factors. In phase two, 25 participants were observed at inpatient care using the workplace ergonomic risk assessment tool (WERA) to profile the risk exposure levels during nursing tasks.

Results

In the patient repositioning task, 24% of the nurses scored low, 76% scored medium-risk exposure level, and none of the nurses obtained a high-risk exposure level. Biomechanical, environmental, and organisational factors were significantly associated with risk exposure levels (p < .05), while no association was found with the psychosocial factors.

Conclusions

This study showed a significant association between nursing task-specific risk-exposure scores, ergonomic risk factors and the prevalence of WMDs. The risk exposure scores were significantly associated with the reported WMSDs of the lower back, neck, and hip/thigh regions; these prevented normal activities at least once in the last 12 months. Possible interventions are discussed in the realms of human factors framework.

Keywords:

• Ergonomics
• musculoskeletal (other)
• nurses
• risk factors
• WERA
• human factors
• SEIPS 2.0

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Praveen Kumar, Dean, and Mr. Satheesh Kumar, Physiotherapy Internship Coordinator, at the College of Health Sciences, Dr. Kandasammy, College of Nursing, Gulf Medical University for administrative and logistical support, Ms. Sharon Ashma Monteiro, Assistant Manager–Learning and Development, Ms. Thushara Sekhar, Nurse Educator and Clinical Lecturer at Thumbay Hospital Ajman for support for Series of ergonomic workshops, and Prof. Jayadevan Sreedharan for statistical analysis. We extend our thanks to the anonymous reviewers for their noteworthy suggestions.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by authors.