Musculoskeletal problems and expressed practices of body mechanics among nursing officers at All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India

Abstract

Objective: The objective of the study was to identify musculoskeletal problems (MSPs) among nursing officers. Materials and Methods: A nonexperimental research design was used. Two hundred and seventy nursing officers were selected by purposive sampling technique. The standardized Nordic questionnaire was used to assess the MSPs and self-structured three-point rating scale was used to assess expressed practice of body mechanics of nursing officers. Results: The study findings revealed that 64.4% of nursing officers suffered from MSP such as ache, pain, and discomfort during the past 12 months and 43.7% during the past 7 days. The problem in the low back and the neck were highest 45.1% and 22.2%, respectively. This was followed by MSP of the upper back (14.0%), ankles (13.7%), knees (10.7%), shoulder (10.3%), hip/thighs (5.9%), wrists (4.4%), and elbows (3.3%). Around 49.2% complained that MSPs limit their work. There was significant association of MSP with selected personal variables like body mass index (P = 0.001) and family history (P = 0.02). There were also significant association of expressed practices of body mechanics with gender (P = 0.01), area of current work (P = 0.00), professional experience (P = 0.03) and physical activity (P = 0.00). Conclusion: The study indicates the large number of nursing officers had MSPs with the two most common sites being the lower back and the neck. This creates a need for prompt hospital education programs aimed to create awareness among nursing officers on the prevalence of MSPs.

Manejo de la Mecánica Corporal en Enfermeria dentro de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos: Un Scoping Review

“…Los trabajadores deben estar familiarizados con las prácticas laborales adecuadas, la mecánica corporal y las técnicas de levantamiento adecuadas, que ayudarán a evitar factores de riesgo innecesarios capaces de conducir al desarrollo de trastronos musculoesqueléticos. Un manejo adecuado de la mecánica corporal posibilita que las personas realicen actividades sin un gasto excesivo de energía y contribuye a prevenir lesiones tanto en los pacientes como en el personal de enfermería (Saini et al, 2021).…”