Musculoskeletal injuries resulting from patient handling tasks among hospital workers

Abstract

The use of mechanical lift equipment could significantly reduce the risk of some patient handling injuries but additional interventions need to be considered that address other patient handling tasks. Smaller high-risk workgroups should not be neglected in prevention efforts.

Musculoskeletal pain among critical-care nurses by availability and use of patient lifting equipment: An analysis of cross-sectional survey data

“…Each year, more than 10,000 nurses in the United States experience work-related musculoskeletal disorders resulting in lost work days and nurses rank among the top five occupations for musculoskeletal disorders (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2010). Injuries from patient handling tasks account for 31-66% of all musculoskeletal injuries among healthcare workers (D'Arcy et al, 2012;Kim et al, 2012;Pompeii et al, 2009).…”

Musculoskeletal injuries among hospital patient care staff before and after implementation of patient lift and transfer equipment

“…The risk of work-related musculoskeletal (MS) injuries is high among direct patient caregivers in the acute care hospital setting; the burden is attributed, in part, to the moving, assisting, and repositioning of patients (1)(2)(3)(4). Such adverse conditions lead to substantial lost work time and restricted work duty (2,5), and they contribute to costly workers' compensation claims (6).…”

Notificação de problemas de saúde em trabalhadores de enfermagem de hospitais universitário

“…A study conducted with all workers in a university hospital in North Carolina (USA) found that one-third of musculoskeletal injuries resulted from the handling of patients during the care process, including lifting, transferring, repositioning in the bed or chair, transportation in the bed or chair, and avoiding falls, among others. The highest rates of injuries were identified in hospital nurses (50%) and nursing assistants (23.1%); in turn, nursing assistants presented the highest rate of accidents (15) . Another American study pointed out that a considerable number of workers are forced to remain standing for long periods, without walking or sitting, during the work shift.…”