Self-assessment of the Musculoskeletal System Load of the Nurses Employed in Conservative and Surgical Departments

Abstract

Introduction. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) all over the world are a frequent cause of illness affecting people working especially in the health sector. In the medical professions, nursing staff experiences negative impact of work on the motor system to the highest degree.Aim. The aim of the work is to assess the extent of disability of nursing staff exposed to excessive strain on the spine as measured by the Oswestry Disability Index.Material and Methods. The study involved 50 nurses employed in surgical (32%) and conservative (68%) departments. The study used the method of a diagnostic survey, and the Oswestry Disability Index questionnaire was the research tool. The collected material was subjected to statistical analysis.Results. Women accounted for nearly 98% of the respondents. The average age of the respondents was over 46 years (46 years and 3 months). The results of the study showed that the occurrence of pain in the spine adversely affects the functional performance, in particular the social life (p=0.0004) and lifting (p=0.036). The average disability score at the Oswestry scale was 25.88%, which indicates a moderate disability of the respondents.Conclusions. Pain in the spine significantly affects the functional capacity of the subjects. This problem is particularly common among nursing staff. (JNNN 2018;7(4):155–159)